Right Kind of Wrong
by Nokito-chan
Summary: AU. She yanked him out of his comfort zone. He made her want things she tried to guard against. Somewhere in the middle ... hell broke loose. Collab with Blade Redwind.
1. Chapter 1

_**a/n: So, here I am again xD … I hope you like it. I've done something a little different with Tenten's family situation. In fact, prepare yourself for all sorts of craziness … you have been warned xD**_

_**Credit where it's due: a very big thank you to Blade Redwind for all her help and advice -big hug- I couldn't have gotten this written without her.**_

_**EDIT: Blade Redwind and I are collaborating on the fic fully now - but she's been an invaluable help in this chapter also ^^**_

_**Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto or song lyrics below  
**_

* * *

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

Late afternoon sunlight poured into the school hallway, making the chalk dust glint as it floated through the air. Students were laughing, talking loudly, as they slammed their locker doors shut; happy that school was done for the day. Tenten closed her locker and leaned against it as she stared with resigned pity at her cousin on the other side of the hallway. A light blush covered Konohamaru's cheeks and an uncomfortable hand wriggled in his dark, spiky hair as he approached a girl with glossy black tresses, standing in front of her locker with her friends.

'Hey, Hanabi.'

Tenten could just hear his voice over the clatter in the hallway - asking the Hyuuga girl something about an assignment. Hanabi's eyes turned disdainfully away when she saw who it was but she nonetheless reluctantly answered his question, speaking into her locker more than to the boy who hovered excitedly next to her.

She really couldn't be blamed for that, Tenten had to concede. Konohamaru was more brother than cousin to Tenten and though she would always have his back, she couldn't help but sympathize with the younger Hyuuga girl in this instance. Throughout their elementary school years Konohamaru had gone out of his way to torment the girl in that typical way of little boys when they liked a girl: he pulled her hair, he tripped her in the lunchroom, hid bugs in her desk. Every day had been a challenge to his creativity as he tried to think of some new prank he could play on poor Hanabi. But Konohamaru wasn't eight years old anymore and, at the ripe old age of fifteen, he'd finally figured out that he liked Hanabi. Only, Tenten doubted that the passage of time had done anything to make Hanabi forget spiders crawling out of her desk and over her books.

'Five bucks says she hits him over the head with that book she's clinging to in the next ten seconds.'

Tenten turned slightly at Temari's voice just behind her.

'I'm broke or I'd have taken you up on that one,' Sakura's said, from just behind Temari, 'he's got to get some points for perseverance.'

'Hey, guys,' Tenten smiled slightly before turning back to the spectacle of Konohamaru trying to chat Hanabi up while she studiously ignored him. A sigh huffed from her mouth and she spoke over her shoulder to her two best friends, 'I don't really think so, Sakura. Would you forgive someone who put spiders in your desk when you were eight?'

The conversation behind her turned to Temari's favorite topic: lacrosse. All three of the girls played for the team but Tenten and Sakura weren't nearly as obsessed as Temari with the sport. When Temari's voice rose another pitch in excitement as she started talking about their upcoming match, Tenten tuned them out completely and focused on her cousin's attempts at flirtation across the hall. Her thoughts were drifting, she was waiting for the inevitable, any moment now Hanabi would slam her locker shut and walk away without another word as she'd done so many times before, but something else entirely happened. Or rather _someone_.

Tenten's eyes narrowed and her hand clenched around the strap of her bag so tightly her knuckles turned white, watching as Neji Hyuuga approached the duo. To be fair, Tenten couldn't say she had anything against Neji personally. She did, however, have quite a lot against his friends. The dark-haired boy was never part of the bullying, the teasing, the making life hell for some other unfortunate soul simply on the grounds of their socio-economic status, but he never did anything about it either. Simply stood, coolly aloof from it all, as if he couldn't bear to come into contact with the masses; as if he was too good for all of them. In a way that was almost worse; at least his friends acknowledged the existence of other people, even if only to make their lives hell – to Neji they were simply too insignificant to notice.

Blood simmering, Tenten watched as the tall, dark-haired boy pushed in between her cousin and his, one hand resting against the bank of lockers. Hanabi seemed to shrink behind her him; she quickly closed her locker and stood a little back, hugging her books to her chest. The taller Hyuuga stared down at Konohamaru, who defiantly stood his ground and raised his chin, glaring at the eldest Hyuuga. In contrast, it couldn't be said that Neji glared at Konohamaru, his gaze wasn't angry or vindictive, instead it contained only the barest hint of warning.

'Get lost.'

Tenten heard the words he spoke to her cousin clearly, though his voice was low and without inflection.

'She's not interested, got it?'

'Shit. Temari!' Sakura's voice was urgent as she interrupted the blonde's lacrosse monologue.

'What?' Temari asked, looking confused and turning to Tenten for explanation.

'Tenten,' Sakura groaned from the blonde's left.

But it was already too late. Tenten dropped her bag to the floor with a soft thump on the way as she stalked over to the Hyuugas. The sound of her footsteps, anger making her footfalls heavier than they usually were, alerted him to her approach and Neji's pearlescent eyes rose to meet Tenten's angry, hazel ones.

'How would you know? Speaking for your cousin now, Hyuuga?'

His gaze remained calm, unaffected and unruffled by her angry words, and he slowly dropped his hand from the locker and drew himself up to his full height. Staring down at Tenten he crossed his arms over his chest, 'And you can talk?' His gaze shifted back to Konohamaru, the meaning clear, as his eyes returned to meet hers.

'I only speak for others when they need my help. Like, oh, say, when some jerk thinks he can push someone else around.' Her eyes narrowed to mere slits. '_I'm _not the one being a bully here, _Hyuuga_.'

'Yeah? Not from where I'm standing, but, hey, whatever makes you sleep at night, _Sarutobi_.'

The waves of anger rose higher and Tenten took an almost involuntary step forward as he sneered her family name at her, the word rolling off his tongue with great distaste. Neji tensed slightly but then Sakura and Temari were there, each pulling at one of her arms, dragging her away before she could do something she might regret.

Neji smirked at her furious face, clearly taking great delight in winning the round, and called after her, 'Tell your cousin to keep away from Hanabi.' The warning was back in his voice but he turned and grabbed Hanabi's upper arm, ushering her away without a backward glance or another word.

Temari and Sakura let go only once the Hyuugas were out of sight and by then most of the students had lost interest in them. Walking slowly Konohamaru joined the three girls, Tenten was still trembling with righteous anger but the look on his face froze her blood. The tips of his ears were still red and his dark eyes glittered accusingly as he met her gaze.

'Sorry,' she mumbled at Konohamaru, 'sometimes it's hard to remember you're not ten anymore.'

'Whatever,' he muttered, hands stuffed into his pockets, 'just don't try to rescue me again.'

* * *

Dinner was done, the table cleared, and Tenten was about to start on the dishes when her uncle entered the kitchen. Asuma - tall and dark-haired like the rest of the family with a neatly trimmed beard - was usually cool, more like an older brother than an uncle. He whistled softly under his breath, sauntered over to the fridge and selected a bottle of water before settling himself at the island in the middle of the kitchen. From the corner of her eye, Tenten saw him rifling through his pockets, searching for a cigarette, no doubt. Tenten sighed inwardly – he knew the rules after all.

'How's school?' he asked, opening the pack and tapping the bottom until one cigarette dislodged itself from the rest. He raised the pack to his mouth, taking the cigarette between his lips and flicked his lighter, raising the small flame to the dangling cigarette and drew on it until the tip glowed red. With a contented sigh, he leaned back in his chair, blowing smoke rings at the ceiling.

'You're not supposed to smoke in the house,' Tenten admonished him, turning to fix a disapproving glare on his slumped figure.

'Yeah, but I figure if the old man can break the rules in his study with his pipe, then I can break the rules too,' a laugh accompanied the words as he winked at Tenten.

Blowing out an exasperated breath Tenten turned back to the dishes, shaking her head. Honestly, the man was incorrigible and her grandfather was no better. It was easy to see where Asuma had gotten it from.

'So. School?' Asuma prompted around his cigarette.

'Not bad,' Tenten replied grudgingly, 'got a couple of tests coming up, but nothing huge.'

Asuma nodded as he blew more smoke rings.

'You're not going to put that out, are you?' Tenten finally questioned in defeat, drying her hands on a dishtowel and heading for a kitchen cabinet. She opened the wooden door and rummaged around inside until her hand touched cool glass. Ashtray in hand, Tenten walked back across the kitchen, plunking the glass bowl down next to her uncle on the table.

'Thanks, kid,' he muttered, tapping his cigarette on the side of the tray to dislodge the accumulated ash. 'And no, I'm not. Not unless you feel like elaborating about school and by that I don't mean more about tests or assignments.' He waggled his eyebrows at her in a comically exaggerated gesture.

For a few seconds Tenten stood frozen by the sink, then she plunged her hands back into the soapy water.

'Knock yourself out,' she muttered in her uncle's direction.

'Didn't think so,' he returned, smugly.

A comfortable silence fell, broken only by the clink of china and glass, the clatter of metal utensils and the small splashes of water Tenten's hands created. Together they listened to the domestic sounds interspersed with loud music from the floor above.

'What's up with Konohamaru?' Asuma asked, jerking his head at the ceiling.

Tenten blew her bangs out of her eyes. After picking at his meal Konohamaru had excused himself and now the only sign of his presence was the distant thumping of bass and wail of an electric guitar seeping through his closed door.

'He's pissed at me,' she finally answered, sticking her hands into the soapy water, glad of an excuse to face away from her uncle's piercing gaze.

'Yeah? What did you do?'

Asuma's tone was nonchalant but Tenten read the worry there. Usually Konohamaru was excitable, loud and boisterous; it was unnerving to see him sunk in gloom. Deciding that she couldn't really piss her cousin off more than she already had, Tenten opened her mouth.

'There's this girl he likes. He always has. But he teased her a lot when they were younger so now she won't give him the time of day.'

'Ah,' understanding dawned on Asuma's face and his expression cleared only to fall into lines of confusion again, 'and that's your fault?'

'No,' Tenten sighed, 'thing is … the girl's really popular and pretty and she's got this … _cousin_.' Involuntarily Tenten's tone darkened at the thought of Neji and she washed the plate in her hands with more vigour than strictly necessary.

'I take it you don't approve because of this cousin,' Asuma stated from behind her.

'It's not a case of approving or disapproving. If he likes her he likes her, you know? It's just that her cousin is a total self-satisfied jerk. And today, when Konohamaru was trying to talk to Hanabi, said jerk decided to butt in and tell Konohamaru to get lost. So I, very intelligently I might add, went and told him to let the girl speak for herself. I think I embarrassed Konohamaru.'

Tenten hung her head, focusing on the knife she was scrubbing and waited for Asuma to confirm her fears.

A deep, gruff chuckle from behind had her whirling around, soap dripping from her hands.

'It's not funny,' she said, brandishing the soapy knife at her uncle.

He raised his hands in surrender, 'It kind of is, sorry, Ten. No fifteen-year-old boy wants to be treated like a kid in front of the girl he likes. I know you were trying to help but maybe just apologize, huh? Then he can go back to being Konohamaru and this cloud of gloom can lift from the house.'

He took a last, deep drag from the cigarette and stubbed it out on the ashtray she'd placed on the table, and stood, stretching, before he headed for the door, ruffling Tenten's hair on his way out. With an impatient huff Tenten turned back to the washing up. But her uncle's advice wouldn't go away and the guilt wouldn't stop gnawing; she hated being on bad terms with her family. They were all she had left. Before them her life hadn't been anywhere near as good – though they never starved her parents never had much money – for reasons she couldn't dwell on. The Sarutobi residence, now her home, could've housed the entirety of the apartment she'd grown up in. Here noises in the night were cars backfiring not guns being fired.

At first, when she'd been sent to the grandfather she only saw at birthdays, Tenten had constantly wondered how on earth her mother had ever given all of this up to go and live downtown. Slowly, as she'd gotten to know her new family, she'd realized that money meant very little to the Sarutobi's – they had it and it eased the way but it didn't define them. Hiruzen ensured that his grandchildren and his remaining son understood the value of hard work and perseverance. The lessons of early childhood combined with Hiruzen's guidance had only made Tenten that much more determined to be independently successful; to not be overly reliant on a man the way her mother had been. Their approach to money and status didn't really endear the Sarutobi's to their neighbors, though. Tenten snorted; people like the Hyuugas looked down on her family; they were too liberal, too at ease with the lower classes, not at all interested in preserving the elite.

Her thoughts returned to the problem of Konohamaru and, with a sigh, Tenten decided that she had to apologize. It wasn't his fault that she'd never seen eye-to-eye with Neji's crowd. When she'd started at the school they'd been friendly, because of her family name, but she'd quickly come to realize that she could not stand the way they treated the rest of the student body. To be fair, it was mostly the girls who were so very sure of their superiority but the fact remained that even if Neji never participated in the cruelty he'd never done anything to stop it either. Tenten had quickly distanced herself from them and gained brand-new enemies when she stood up for less fortunate students who ran afoul of the privileged few.

The dishes were done and Tenten could delay no longer. She quickly grabbed a couple of sodas out of the fridge and headed up the stairs, aware of the glances she received from Hiruzen and Asuma when she passed through the living room. She ignored Asuma's smirk and held her head high. In front of Konohamaru's room, she paused for the first time, took a deep breath and knocked as loudly as she could over the noise from inside, hoping he'd hear her. Without waiting for an invitation she eased the door open and waited for a few seconds. When no demand to get out came from inside, she pushed the door open further and walked hesitantly into the lamp-lit room. Konohamaru was sprawled flat on his back, the green-checkered bedcovers bunched untidily beneath him, an arm across his eyes as the music blared. Tenten placed the soda on the bedside table and grabbed the remote, turning the volume down.

The silence was almost as loud as the music had been moments before.

'I'm sorry, okay?' she finally said in a rush, 'I didn't mean to embarrass you, I just didn't think.'

'Yeah, you can say that again,' came the sarcastically mumbled reply from beneath the shielding arm.

Tenten sighed, 'Let me make it up to you. I'll help you with Hanabi, if you want, just don't sulk anymore, okay? It's getting us all down.'

Slowly the arm lifted, then dropped to his side and his dark gaze was fixed intently on Tenten's earnest expression.

'How can you help?' he asked sceptically.

'I'm a girl,' Tenten pointed out.

Konohamaru snorted.

'Hey! Just because I'm not a girly-girl doesn't mean that I don't know what girls want or how to go about getting one interested in you' Tenten said, hitting him in the leg.

'Okay, fine, so you're a girl,' he muttered, pushing himself into a sitting position, 'what do you suggest I do then?'

Tenten leaned across him, grabbed the sodas and handed one to her cousin before popping the tab on her own.

'We're good?' she asked, holding out the can.

A reluctant grin pulled at the corners of Konohamaru's mouth, 'We're good,' he finally agreed, clinking his can against hers.

'Okay, so, let's see … where to start,' Tenten mused as she leaned back against the footboard, getting comfortable. She was so deep in thought she completely missed the look of half-alarm, half-wariness that passed over her cousin's face.

* * *

The sound of the book slamming shut wasn't nearly as satisfying as Neji hoped it would be. He sighed and rested his elbows on his desk, homework forgotten, as he stared unseeingly out the window. Much as he hated to admit it, _that_ _girl_ had gotten to him. The disdain in her voice and the barely contained fire in her eyes when she'd called him a bully caused some unexpected consequences.

Neji didn't get angry. He didn't get excited and he didn't let other people get to him. He was a Hyuuga. But today, when she'd stood there, glaring up at him, nearly vibrating with half-checked rage that he'd dare speak to _her_ cousin, he'd felt it.

Anger.

It bubbled sluggishly through his veins; it was the reason he couldn't focus on anything tonight. How could it be possible for one girl to break through the layers of calm so easily? She wasn't important – just a nobody with delusions of being some kind of modern-day Robin Hood of the high school; the champion of the underdog, as if her childhood on the wrong side of the tracks somehow qualified her to do this. Neji leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, eyes burning into the white plaster.

She didn't understand – he wasn't _trying_ to be an ass. He wasn't like the others, didn't need to rub it in people's faces that he had all the opportunities money and influence could buy. Being a Hyuuga meant certain things were expected from him; protecting his cousins from unwanted attention being one of them. Nevermind the spider and hair-pulling incidents, Neji was quite sure Hiashi considered Konohamaru Sarutobi unwanted attention. Tenten should be grateful … in a way he was saving her cousin from his uncle's wrath before things went too far. But what did he get for his trouble? For walking away? Unfounded accusations from someone who didn't know him, creating a public spectacle he hadn't appreciated at all. Abruptly Neji sat up straight, his teeth grinding together nearly audibly and he firmly told himself that she was not worth all this effort. A stupid hallway showdown over something so inconsequential did not qualify as being _worth_ it.

He shouldn't even be thinking about her at all.

* * *

'There,' Tenten sat back in Konohamaru's desk chair, with a satisfied smile pulling at her lips, 'that should do it.'

'Let me see,' her cousin demanded from his perch on the bed.

Tenten moved out of the way, sitting down on the bed while her cousin took her place in front of his computer and began to read the email she'd typed to Hanabi, supposedly from Konohamaru.

'I'm sorry about today – my cousin's a psycho. All I was really trying to say, what I've been trying to say for a long time, is that I want to apologize to you. For all the things I did when we were younger; I never meant to upset you. I only did them because I was trying to be your friend, I suppose. That doesn't excuse my behavior though and I just wanted you to know that I really am sorry,' Konohamaru quoted with various notes of disbelief playing through his voice. 'There's no way she's buying that, Ten,' he said sceptically as he looked over his shoulder at his cousin.

Tenten arched an eyebrow, 'Send the email and see,' was all she said as she stood and dusted the seat of her jeans, 'now, I'd better get some homework done.' She completely ignored the worried frown that drew Konohamaru's brows together as she swept from the room, feeling much better about the afternoon's events. As long as she didn't think of Neji Hyuuga she was even in a relatively good mood, despite the homework that awaited her. Shaking her head vigorously, Tenten yanked her bedroom door open and stepped inside before turning on the light and closing the door.

Her bedroom was the very antithesis of her personality – pink and frilly. But at the age of fourteen, when she'd come to live with her grandfather after her parents' deaths, the old man had gone to the trouble of having an interior decorator fix a room for her – and she'd appreciated the gesture far too much to hurt his feelings by showing that she wasn't really a frills-and-lace kind of girl. So, the room had stayed, Tenten had proclaimed to love it, and now, years later, she was so used to the off-white walls and the princess bed with its pale pink covers and the matching curtains that she barely noticed the color anymore. She sighed as her gaze landed on the pile of books waiting for her on the white lacquered desk.

Trying to prolong the moment before she had to start just a bit more she carefully, slowly, walked over to the desk, taking note of all her possessions scattered around the room. Maybe it was time to ask if she could have the room done over, she mused, after all this time it shouldn't offend anyone and she really was a bit too old for the current look.

To her delight, her cellphone buzzed on her bedside table before she had even drawn the chair out, and with a happy little cry Tenten pounced on the small object and flopped onto her bed with it in her hand. She read the text messages from Temari and Sakura and replied, her fingers flying over the keys. As she waited for their responses she lay quietly staring at the ceiling … and her thoughts turned to Neji again. For the first time a slight twinge of guilt flowed through her, she had been rather unfair – attacking him like that. But it was Konohamaru and she didn't care who she had to go up against, she would not let anyone hurt her cousin, not if she could help it.

With a deep sigh Tenten pushed all the thoughts away and forced herself to stand up and grab her books from the desk. She spread them out on her bed and firmly focused only on her schoolwork. For the rest of the night the approach worked perfectly – as long as she stayed busy she could ignore the events of the day. But as she lay in bed that night, waiting for sleep to claim her, she couldn't quite ignore the sinking feeling that, if Konohamaru sent that email, she would be squaring off with Neji far more often than she'd like. Everything else aside, she wasn't sure he had the imagination to carry on a fully-fledged feud, and where would be the fun in that?

* * *

'It totally worked.'

Tenten closed her locker, arching an eyebrow at a shell-shocked Konohamaru leaning against the one next to hers.

'The email,' he elaborated impatiently when she didn't reply, 'Hanabi spoke to me.' He stared at his older cousin, speaking the words with reverent warmth, as if he couldn't quite believe it.

Tenten smirked at him, satisfaction evident in her body language as she leaned a shoulder against the bank of lockers, her head moving closer to his. 'I told you so,' she said, smugly.

'She actually _talked _to me.' He shook his head. 'She _thanked _me for the apology and said that it was okay, it's in the past.' He stared at Tenten for a moment as she just smiled at him and then continued, a note of panic making its way into his voice.

'What do I do now?'

Tenten tilted her head to the side, giving her cousin a considering look, 'Now you just be nice to her. Pleasant. You say hey, she says hey … and then you give your undivided attention to one of her friends.' Ignoring the incredulous way he gaped at her she continued. 'Preferably a girl who's not quite as pretty or as popular as Hanabi.'

'Wha-what are you _talking_ about?' he gasped, standing up straight. 'Ignore her and hit on her friends the second she's actually talking to me for the first time in her life? Are. You. Insane.'

A light laugh bubbled from her lips and Tenten patted him on the shoulder, 'Relax. You don't have to hit on the girl – just be very nice and attentive. Trust me, she'll come running.'

Konohamaru shook his head, staring at Tenten with disbelief still painted on his expressive features, 'You're crazy. Scratch that – _I'm _crazy for having listened to you in the first place.'

'Come on, have a little faith. This is a tried and trusted method. Trust me.'

'Tried and trusted?' The words were laced with scepticism but Tenten just shrugged.

'_Yes_. How do you think chronic playboys get all the girls despite their reputations?'

* * *

The final bell rang and Tenten couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped as she closed her heavy history book. Last period history was torture – trying to stay awake while their teacher droned on and on about dates and battles was not easy. She quickly grabbed her bag from the floor and stuffed her half-hearted notes into it before slinging the strap over her shoulder. Heaving the book into her arms she walked the few steps to Temari's desk and waited while the blonde finished packing her things away. She listened with half an ear as Temari picked up right where she'd left off before they'd entered the class: telling Tenten exactly how she could improve her game, preferably before the upcoming match on Saturday.

Her friend was still talking in an unbroken stream when they reached Tenten's locker but she snapped her mouth shut in the middle of a sentence and Tenten followed her gaze to the other side of the hall where Konohamaru was leaning casually against a locker talking to one of Hanabi's friends while the Hyuuga girl stowed her books away, shooting small glances at the boy and frowning. The smile that lit Tenten's features could only be described as devious and she just barely kept from crowing like a loon.

'Is that Konohamaru?' Temari asked in an undertone, sounding unsure and looking at Konohamaru as if she couldn't quite believe her eyes.

'Yeah,' Tenten laughed, 'he's taking my advice.'

Temari glanced at Tenten and back at the younger kids again as if the sight might have changed, 'Since when are you an expert in flirting?'

Tenten shrugged as she spun the combination on her locker and opened the door, 'It's working, isn't it? I'm not an expert at picking up girls, this is just the classic playboy maneuver.'

The blonde's expression cleared, understanding dawning in her aquamarine eyes, 'Ah,' she nodded, 'but … er … correct me if I'm wrong but any method employed by playboys, though undoubtedly effective, will be geared more towards scoring a one-night-stand than starting a relationship. How's that going to help your cousin?'

'It'll work, Mari. Trust me. And I'm sort of bargaining on Konohamaru's distinct lack of bad-boy smoldering to save it from having that end,' Tenten laughed.

'Whatever you say,' Temari motioned for Tenten to hurry as she started towards the bathroom, shooting a questioning look at Tenten over her shoulder.

'I'll wait,' Tenten muttered, stowing her book inside the locker, sneaking peeks at her cousin periodically.

'I thought I made myself clear.'

The silky voice broke through her thoughts and Tenten started, wide hazel eyes flying to the source only to narrow as she took in the sight of Neji leaning gracefully against the metal next to her. Somehow his proximity made her uncomfortable; a tingling feeling rushing down her spine. She quickly closed the door and took a step back.

Crossing her arms and glaring warily at the Hyuuga she asked, 'About what?'

Neji jerked his head towards their cousins, long hair flowing silkily over his shoulder with the motion. It always amazed Tenten – with hair so long he should've looked ridiculous … girly even, what with his pretty-boy features but somehow he didn't. And it definitely didn't detract from his threatening aura, she conceded, forcing herself to stand straight and meet him head-on.

'It's a free country,' she said, her clear gaze daring him to make an issue out of it.

Neji straightened up, towering over her, and Tenten swallowed. How had she never noticed just how much taller he was?

'You don't want me as your enemy,' he said slowly, shooting another glance heavy with meaning at their cousins before meeting her eyes again. For a moment they glared at each other before the Hyuuga stepped forward, making sure to brush closely past her on his way to collect his cousin.

Tenten stood frozen, inwardly fighting for composure, refusing to let his intimidation have the desired effect, forcing her heartbeat to calm down, waiting for the anger to override the other feelings. Finally, she turned slightly and watched as Hanabi quickly left her friends with a wave, and a small smile at Konohamaru, before falling into step with Neji just as he drew level with her. Tenten couldn't quite keep the smug satisfaction from zinging through her as she noticed that he didn't even look at her cousin this time.

* * *

_**a/n: … review?**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**a/n: Thanks for the reviews/alerts/favs! We're really excited that you like the story and we're really hoping that you'll like this chapter too ^^ please don't forget to leave a review!**_

_**Just a little edit: Blade and I have decided to collab fully on this fic so please don't forget to give her your love too!**_

_**Warnings: a touch of language and some smexiness **_

_**Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto or the song lyrics below … but we do own the plot**_

* * *

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

"I think I want a redecoration job," Tenten mumbled through her toast as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. The slice of browned bread bounced up and down betwixt her lips as she spoke. She wiggled her nose when some butter slapped onto it.

A single black brow rose next to her from her hunched over uncle. "You want to be a redecorator?" His elbows were resting on the breakfast table in the kitchen, his fingers lazily interlaced together in front of his face. He had a toothpick in his mouth, hanging half out and jolting every time he moved it from one side of his mouth to the other.

She set her glass down and rolled her eyes. The clear jug was set back in the middle of the table ahead of her. She bit a piece off of her toast, chewed as she wiped nose, and then swallowed. "No," she muttered. "I think my room needs a change."

Asuma chuckled, his eyes closing shut just slightly at the action. "Pink not your flavour anymore?"

She gave him a look that could be considered glaring... or maybe pouting. "Ha. Ha." Her voice was a deadpan. She smiled though; more smirking at him. "I'm a senior in high school, uncle. Not a princess. As adorable as it might have been when I was fourteen... not so much anymore."

"...And you're telling me why?"

She cut off a piece of her eggs with the side of her fork. "Because you love me and you'll do me the huge favour of—maybe—suggesting to grandfather I could use a change?" She peered at him, looking dramatically hopeful in a way that wasn't meant to be anything but funny.

He chuckled deep in his chest as he sat back and placed his hands on his thighs. "You could just ask him yourself."

She frowned between bites. "Yeah, but if you tell him then I don't have to worry about hurting his feelings. Then he doesn't think it's me; he thinks it's you thinking I'm older now and need something a little more mature.

"Plus, I happen to know when Kurenai is going to be back in town." She flashed a grin.

He frowned at her, almost pouting. Which was funny, because it _was_ Uncle Asuma after all. "You're brutal, you know that?"

"Mhm," she replied with a nod, chewing. She was just kidding, honestly. She didn't need to bribe him anymore than he needed to be bribed to get her to tell him when the black-haired beauty would be back from her out of town trip. It was just one of those little games they played and had since she'd moved into the house.

"Morning!" Konohamaru announced raucously as he came bouncing into the kitchen; he went straight for the fridge. She watched as he tapped the door, his face hidden from view whilst he looked for something. "Where's the OJ?"

"Well, if you came over to the table and sat down you'd see it's here," she singsonged sarcastically as she tapped the container; the sound twanged with a clink under her nail.

"I'll just grab the milk then." He shut the door, aforementioned item in hand. He reached up and pulled a box of cereal off the top of the fridge. He stuck this under his arm and got a bowl and spoon, making a bit too much noise in his wake. "Is gramps awake yet?" This he asked as he sat down at the table.

"He will be if you keep up with all that racket," Asuma provided with a smirk.

Konohamaru rolled his eyes as he poured his breakfast. His spoon dove into his bowl and he took a particularly loud crunchy bite, as if trying to make more noise. No one called him out on it if they noticed, though.

"Well, I'm gonna head off to work," Asuma said as he stood. "Make sure you do wake up the old man before you guys go to school; he wanted to get some work done in his office."

"Sure thing," Tenten piped up. "And don't forget what I asked you!" she hollered at him as he rounded the corner of the kitchen exit.

"Yeah... yeah...!" he called back, waving with his back to her as he disappeared.

"He's such a brat," she muttered before shoving another bite in her mouth.

"What did you ask him to do?"

She shrugged. "Nothing really. Just need my room redecorated."

He laughed. "Yeah! The girl pink look is kind of old."

She rolled her eyes for the second time that morning and shoved the last of her toast in her mouth. She washed it down with the remainder of her OJ and stood up, plate and fork in hand. As she went to the sink she said, "So... I saw you talking to Hanabi's friend yesterday."

He raised his gaze to her. "...Yeah?" his voice was tentative.

Tenten smiled as she turned on the water and rinsed her dishes. "She was looking at you."

"Really...?" he sounded hopeful.

"Uh-huh." She shut the water off and turned around; her lower back pressed into the edge of sink. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I told you."

His eyes narrowed in semi-doubt. "You're sure she was watching me?"

"You couldn't tell?"

He shook his head.

She sighed and walked up to him, ruffling his hair. "Rule number one: when you're hitting on the girl's best friend, make sure you know _where_ the other girl is so you know if she's paying attention to you." She gave him a soft whack on the back of his head.

He frowned at her and rubbed where she'd hit. "So... what next?"

She smiled down at him, looking impish as she stuck her tongue out at him. "Easy. You wait for her to come to you."

He stared at her, brows rising questionably.

"Are you doubting me again?"

"...No," he muttered quietly as he looked back down at his cereal. "I'm just wondering how you know about this stuff."

She tapped her nose. "Trade secret. Now come on. Eat up so we can wake 'the old man up' and get out of here." She ruffled his hair again, much to his dismay and stuck her hands in her low-rise jeans as she made her way out of the kitchen.

_Oh ye of little faith._

* * *

"Look, you have to look at this!" Temari shouted over the crowds of kids; she held a magazine in both hands, cover flipped over the back, as she rolled her finger over a few lines. Her backpack was under her arm, close to slipping out from under her. She had a sucker in her mouth, stick protruding and making her words only half understandable. "Can you believe this?"

Sakura sighed, her mouth making a raspberry as she dug through her locker. "Are you _still_ going on about Agatha Christie? Seriously?"

"_What? _She amazing; you can't tell me she's not. She's going to take best player this year for Arizona State."

"And what about Marina Morgan?" She stuffed a book in her bag.

"What about _her_?" Temari frowned. "Her defence is nowhere near as good as Aggie's."

Sakura rolled her eyes this time and glanced at her. "Please. As far as you're concerned, no one's defence is as good as _Aggie's_."

"Well," she said matter-of-factly, "no one's is."

"What—."

"Oh god, are you guys doing this _again_?"

Sakura smiled brightly as she turned to the brunette sauntering up to them. "Hey, Tenny." She returned her fistbump. She still watched her as she leaned her back into the lockers, arms crossing over her chest. "Think you can give us a topic change? I'm going to shoot someone if I hear about Agatha Christie one more time."

"Sure, why not," she replied, her eyes smiling at Temari as the blonde rolled her own and snapped her magazine shut. "See anyone tall, dark and brooding recently?"

"This morning?" Sakura asked, still rifling in her locker.

"Yep."

"I don't think so... not yet anyway." She eyed her, lips pursing on her friend. "What are you up to with the Hyuuga, anyway?"

"Nothing really. Just keeping an eye out for him, is all." She lifted one leg, the bottom of her foot rested against the locker behind her. To be truthful, she wasn't too fond of him sneaking up on her; once yesterday had been enough for her.

"Uh-huh..." Temari drawled, eyeing her through the gap of Sakura and her open locker as the pinkette pulled back. "Nothing, my ass. You're plotting something because of that cousin of yours and his little preschool crush."

Sakura blinked.

"Blah, blah, blah." She stuck her tongue out at the blonde. "It's not _my_ fault my little imp of a surrogate brother has to go and fall for a Hyuuga. And it's certainly not _my_ fault that she has an older cousin who just happens to be my life's bane. So, yes, I'm stuck dealing with that prick a little bit more than I'm comfortable with.

"What would you suggest?"

"A shot gun?" she offered playfully.

"Too shoot myself with and put me out of my misery?"

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, because that would, like, totally solve all of our problems." She said this as she shut her locker with a slam. "Come on, class calls." She slung her bag over her shoulder.

"You guys go on ahead," the brunette replied. "I've got to get a few things out of my locker still."

"Well, hurry up. Class bell rings in ten," Sakura said as she walked backwards next to Temari. "And you know how Kakashi hates it when we're late... hypocritical bastard."

"Don't worry. I will." She waved them off as she chuckled, watching them go. She turned then, and moved down the hall.

She decided today was going to be a long day. Fridays always were; she always looked at the clock and agonized when the next class would be. When lunch hit she forgot for a while, but, once that was over she was staring back at ticking torture device. It wasn't hard not to; she rarely got assigned weekend homework and at the moment there were no projects nagging to be done.

She reached up, stretching and yawned. The bracelets about her wrists jingled as she did so, sliding down both of her bare arms and clicking together. She felt her bra dig under her breasts with the action; the hem of her thin white tank top rode up her flat stomach. She relaxed down, resting her hands against the back of her head to interlace.

A few kids wandered about, grabbing their bags and shutting their lockers; most of them were talking to friends as they walked to class. Doors opened and shut, echoing along the corridor with lockers and other sounds. She stepped around a girl kneeling and picking through her own; she stuffed her hand in her pockets at the same time. Her gaze lingered on her a moment, eyeing the One-Eyed Doll t-shirt she was sporting. Were they getting that popular already?

Her chest collided with something hard and her hands came up instinctively to grab hold and steady herself. At the same moment, two firm hands gripped her upper arms to assist her.

"Whoa," she breathed; her heart was jumping as she closed her eyes; she tried to calm down the hammering in her chest. Her palms flattened against the soft cotton of someone's shirt, the flat firm solidity of their warm muscular chest. She could smell musk, raw and smooth all at once. It wafted into her senses and sent a hum down her spine, to just below her stomach; there, it settled and stirred—warming her. She exhaled slowly, calmed.

"Do you ever watch where you're going, _Sarutobi_?" a voice drawled out. _His_.

Her own hazel depths opened in a flash and shot up to her 'savior'. She shoved him away from her, as if burned; they both stumbled. "Get off of me," she snapped, once more trying to calm her heart and still her blood. Her face was twisted into disgusted aggression; her lips curled.

Cold, opaque hues cut through her as he righted himself and straightened his plain, white tee. "Gladly," he said through a tightened jaw. "Open your eyes and maybe I wouldn't have to."

"Excuse me?" She glared.

"Shall I spell it out for you?" he bit off, taking a step towards her, hands on his hips. "I said, pay attention, Sarutobi, and quit going through the halls like a raging bull running down everything in its path.

"Then, maybe I wouldn't have to _bother_ touching you at all."

Her mouth made an O shape; the sound which exited expressed her surprise and shock. "I'm a bull? You audacious prick!" Her hands made fists at her sides and she seethed through her teeth. "What nerve," she spat next and stepped toward him. Her finger poked into his chest unabashedly. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She stared at him, glaring at his stony expression as he towered over her, at his perfect sharp nose, at his rose-hued lips and his long, black-brown lashes. God! How she _hated _that face; that perfect little snot-nosed, pretty-boy face.

Wait.

She smiled; her lashes lowered half way over her eyes once the thought struck her. She watched as he raised a brow at her, mouth open slightly to snap back; at her look he'd quieted. "I guess I'd rather be a 'raging bull' that a pretty little _girl_." She side stepped around him, not waiting for him to reply as she walked away.

She could feel the burn of his glare on her back, but, she was laughing inside.

Tenten: 1 – Neji: 0

* * *

Sunlight broke through the large window panes along one side of the room; it reflected off the desks and the white-tiled floors. Some of it edged along the wall, halfway up; it signalled the start of another day.

_SMACK!_

"Goddamnit, Kiba! Quit throwing that fucking ball around!" A blond screeched from one side of the room, hands on her hips.

"Or what, sweetheart?" he smarted back, grinning like a fool. Bushy brown bangs hung over his brow, giving a roughneck sort of look. He reached up, teetering his chair back a bit further as he caught the football Suigetsu passed back to him.

Ino frowned, glaring as she crossed her arms over her chest; the action forced her breasts to press further into the violet button-up. "You're such a child. _Both_ of you," she said this with a glare aimed at the blue-haired boy sauntering around a row of desks and over to his compatriot.

Suigetsu snickered, hopping up on the desk behind Kiba; he set his heels up on the edge, causing his black pants to tighten further over his legs and ass. Comfortable, he propped his elbows up on his knees and let his forearms hang.

"And you're a bitch, so what's your point?" Kiba rebutted, tossing the ball up in the air above him. He looked to be thoroughly enjoying his place, legs up on the desk, crossed and chair leaning back precariously close to falling.

"I hope you fall and damage a few more brain cells, you idiot."

Kiba rolled his eyes, but, continued tossing the ball up in the air.

Suigetsu's violet depths drew away from the frustrated, pony-tailed, blonde and towards the only other male in the room aside from himself and Kiba. "Oi...! Neji."

The seventeen year-old male didn't respond as he flipped another page in the paperback flattened out on the desk before him. His had one hand, fingertips pressing against his temple as he stared down, reading. His lips parted slightly as he took in breath; long strands of brown-black fell slightly from the loose tie, dropping over his shoulder and onto the desk. His other hand held the book open. His eyes roved over the lines of text, lashes slightly lowered.

Suigetsu scowled. "Here, give me that." He tapped Kiba on the shoulder. The spiky brown-haired male arched a brow as he looked up at him, but, then just shrugged and tossed it up to him. Suigetsu caught the pig skin and closed one eye, tongue sticking out of his mouth; he aimed, moving his arm back and forth. He pulled his arm back father on the third time, ready to throw—.

"Guess what!" The door slammed open banging into the classroom wall as Suigetsu jumped, stopping.

The young man growled, and snapped his head around at the intruder. "Don't do that, bitch!"

The red-head placed a hand on her hip, jutting it out and causing her short, black skirt to jostle about her thighs. She brought her other hand up to her shades, pushing them further up the bridge of her nose before sticking her tongue out at Suigetsu and flicking him off. She ignored him as he returned the gesture.

"What's up?" Ino asked her.

"Yeah, what's the fuss about, Karin?" Kiba drawled as he took the football back from Suigetsu and went back to tossing it up in the air.

She grinned and took a seat on the edge of the teacher's desk. "There's a party going on tonight."

"Who's place?" Ino asked, brightening considerably.

Karin shrugged. "No one important, but! I got the addy!"

"Alcohol?" Kiba edged.

"Tons."

"I'm in. How about you, Hyuuga?" Kiba slid his legs off the desk and he let his chair fall forward with a _clack_.

Neji stopped reading and reached for his bag, digging about for his bookmark. "I don't see much reason to." And he didn't, he surmised as he dug around in one zippered pocket before moving onto the next.

Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "It's a party, dickface. What more reason do you need?"

He didn't enjoy getting drunk like Kiba, so, that was out; he wasn't in the mood to deal with girls, even for sex—so, that was out; and, he didn't feel like being surrounded by a group of hormonally imbalanced teenagers he'd been raised to think himself above. "Many," he muttered mutely.

Karin was smiling mischievously as she swung her legs to and fro. "Well... you know I heard your little cousin Hanabi is going... and Hinata."

"Haha! Bastard, that means you _have_ to go! You're uncle would never let either of them go to a party without you in tow!" The violet-eyed teen was laughing, teeth showing.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he stood, and laid his book open, pages down, on the desk. He moved towards the door, leaving his stuff behind.

"Oi! Where are you going?" Kiba shouted.

"Bookmark," he replied as he opened the door and stepped out. There were some murmurs behind that died quickly once the door clicked shut behind him. He stepped down the hall, his step concise and even.

He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised his little cousin was going to a party; she was a freshman after all. She also tended to love all the attention everyone gave her; attention he had to keep an eye on, on behalf of his uncle. As long as that Saru—.

As he rounded a corner someone slammed into him; he grunted, grabbing for their upper arms to steady himself, as well as, them.

"Whoa," he heard and looked down; his eyes narrowed a fraction, but appeared almost curious. His lips pursed at the recognizable twin, coiled, bundles of brown hair right in front of his face. He could smell her shampoo; the scent of faint lemon and citrus hit him almost immediately. There was a fan of breath, warm and soft across his neck and collarbone. Her hands were spread across his pectorals, fingers separated and pressing gently in reaction to having been taken by her upper arms.

He swallowed slowly, ignoring the feeling that pooled just below his stomach, just below his abdomen; they weren't butterflies. He inhaled sharply, angrily at his own body's reaction and said, "Do you ever watch where you're going, _Sarutobi_?"

He watched as her copper-browns shot up to his, wide and appalled. Her face changed almost immediately. She shoved him and he found himself stumbling backwards, trying to catch himself before falling.

"Get off of me!"

He glared at her, jaw tight as he went about straightening his shirt and sorting himself out. Did she think he wanted her hands on him, or his hands on her? He felt the anger boiling again, constricting and building just looking at her. "Gladly," he all but snapped at her. She should have been paying attention to what she was doing. "Open your eyes and maybe I wouldn't have to."

"Excuse me?" He could hear the surprise in her voice.

"Shall I spell it out for you?" His eyes locked on her as he spoke, as he took a step towards her and bore down on her, sneering, "I said, pay attention, Sarutobi, and quit going through the halls like a raging bull running down everything in its path.

"Then, maybe I wouldn't have to _bother_ touching you at all."

He watched as her face went agog, eyes wide and mouth gaping. "I'm a bull? You audacious prick!" Her hands coiled at her sides and she narrowed her eyes on his, her own jaw line looking tight. Was that a nerve pulsing above her brow? Good.

"What nerve," she spat next closing the space between them. He tried hard not to blink as she actually _poked_ him in the chest—_poked!_

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

His felt his teeth grind painfully against each other; blood pounded behind his eyes hard enough to start a headache—_she_ was a headache. His own personal migraine come to life. Infuriating, little—he opened his mouth to tell her as much. He stilled, watching as a smile curled at the corners of her mouth, looking almost Cheshire.

"I guess I'd rather be a 'raging bull' that a pretty little _girl_."

* * *

"OhMyGod!"

Tenten jumped, eyes wide and swiftly turned to her right; her eyes narrowed on her younger cousin as he stared up at her with nothing short of euphoria expressed in his monstrously large grin.

"Warn me next time," she muttered.

"Sorry, sorry," he replied, bouncing on his heels.

She slammed her locker door shut and slung her backpack over her shoulder. "So, what are you all smiles about?" She did try to manage to produce one herself as she stepped down the hall, but hell, it hadn't been a good day for her even if it looked like it had been a good day for her cousin.

He caught up with her and glanced about, looking to make sure no one was listening in on them. "Hanabi invited me to a party tonight," he whispered. "Me."

She wasn't too surprised to hear that; it was earlier than she expected the Hyuuga girl to act, but, all the more good for him. This time she did smile as she reached town and ruffled his strands. He huffed at her and her smile broadened. She could detect a hint of frustration there not caused by her sisterly antics. "That's good news. What's bothering you now?" Then a thought struck her as they neared the exit. "You said yes, didn't you?"

He frowned.

She stopped and turned to look at him. "Konohamaru..."

"I didn't want to give her an answer until I talked to you!" he said in a loud, urgently hushed whisper. His hands spread wide before him and his face was a sheen of discontent and worry.

She sighed a little exasperatedly and turned, moving to walk again. "Don't worry about it. At the very least it makes you look like you're not hanging on her every word. Just make sure you call her when you get home and tell her right away.

"Better yet," she went on when she thought about it. "Go see if you can't find her now. I'll wait for you in the car."

He stopped as she moved to push the glass double doors open to the senior parking lot. "Are you sure it wouldn't be better to call her... or email her...?"

She stopped and shook her head. "Call her and you risk having no contact with her at all if someone else picks up the line. Email her and you look distant and not in the good, I-want-to-obtain-the -unobtainable way.

"Stick with what's simple and go tell her in person. It's still early enough that Neji shouldn't be around her. And," she smiled, "it gives you a chance to look cool with her friends surrounding her like feasting hens."

He gave her that look again—that doubting-you've-lost-your-mind-look he would wouldn't be giving her if she was perhaps more male. She frowned at him again. "Go!"

"Alright, alright, fine..." he replied as he went off to do as she asked.

Of course, then it dawned on her that she would be going to party with her little brother because, in all likelihood, if Hanabi was going _he _would not be far behind.

"Goddamnit!"

* * *

There were people _everywhere_. They were sprawled on the couches, or any piece of available furniture, drinks in hand, laughing and talking loudly. Music boomed through the spacious, but not overly-sized living room. She could see people exiting from the hall; one girl almost tripped in her heels. The brunette watched with a playful smirk as her boyfriend, or date—whatever, held her steady and they laughed together and walked over to the table turned makeshift bar.

With a heavy sigh reflective of her earlier mood, Tenten ran a hand through her already dishevelled hair; the brown locks were down, for a change, they rolled down her back in a wavy disarray. Some of her bangs, the longer ones around her temples—unbound now as well—framed her face in wisps; the unusual manner of it was an almost delicate addition to her rounded, yet, angular features.

Her hazel gaze swept through the dimly lit room, trying for the nth time to locate Neji, but there was no sign of his tall frame. At least Konohamaru seemed to be taking her advice and he'd steered Hanabi towards the back patio the last time she'd seen them. The further out of sight they remained, the better her chances were of way-laying the Hyuuga before he spotted his cousin with hers. And she did _not_ need him spotting the duo.

She noted though, the longer the night trailed on and the further the party drew into the outright teen equivalent of an orgy, the less and less likely it seemed the broody, pompous ass would show his face. Her lips actually curled at the thought while she tapped her chin and shifted in her position on the edge of a pool table, cue in hand.

"Tenny, it's your turn!"

The brunette blinked out of her thoughts and turned around to face the table, hand on her hip as she leaned into the cue a little; the butt of which was on the floor. Temari had a brow raised at her as she leaned over the other side of the table, one hand on her hip and the other flat on the surface of the edge. She peered at her.

"Are you gonna go or what? You were the one who begged me into this."

Sakura laughed not too far to the blonde's right. "You're just sore because she's better at being more manly than you at something."

Dark-turquoise rolled, but, was not directed at the brunette. "Pool is not a manly game, candy cane. It's a game of strategy, geometry and physics. Which," she mused with a smug smirked as she pulled back and straightened up, "you are terrible at. If anyone sucks here, it's you, Haruno."

Sakura shook her head, smiling mildly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Whatever. If I liked strategy and math I'd be screwing Shikamaru." As the blonde stiffened she chuckled. "Oh, wait, that's _you_."

"I am not—!"

_CRACK!_

The brunette's decisive hit on the back end of the cue ball stopped further argument for the moment. She watched as it banked off several walls and nicked one, two, three balls into different pockets on the red-felt matting.

"Done," she replied mutely as raised her depths to the two other women. Her gaze shifted to beyond them as she heard the door open and watched with narrowed hues as two men entered, stepping down into the living room party scene.

"Mind if I join?" she heard next to her as the lazy genius Sakura had just been picking at Temari over came up next to her.

She made no bones about handing over the pool stick. "Yeah, sure." She all but ignored the way the blonde huffed at her next-door neighbour's 'intrusion' and Sakura's snickering comment, 'You'll never win now.'

Both women were now too caught up with themselves to notice the way she stepped away from the table, made her way around the crowd in the center and along the wall to the right of the room. She couldn't let him get too far; there was no way if she wanted her cousin to have any chance of having a good night with Hanabi. And judging by the way he was looking around, cold eyes locking and switching from face to face, he was definitely looking for one of the two girls.

But what to do? While provoking him into another fight might slow him down for a moment it wouldn't keep him for the long run. She needed something that would last... Think, Tenten, think! In her haste her eyes combed over the room and down to a couple making out on the couch. The boy had a hat on backwards. She blinked and then a bemused, conniving sort of expression crossed her features.

She reached out and snapped the hat off his head. "Can I borrow this?" She didn't wait for him to reply as she stepped back and turned the stereo down. There a few moans of outrage and glares, but, she kept her devil-may-care grin in place. "Hey, who's up for a game of 7 minutes in heaven?" she shouted loudly.

She noted Kiba, the one who'd come in with him, raised his brows at the commotion and looked over at her while she held the cap in the air. He nudged Neji and pointed, but, he didn't appear too interested. No matter, she mused, he'd have to come through the gathering people getting in on the game; and then she'd snag him in.

Interest quickly lit the eyes of the males around the room and someone grabbed a notebook and started passing a pen around. By the time the Hyuuga and the Inuzuka _had_ drawn level with them, there was a sizable pile of papers in the cap and Tenten took a deep breath; it was now or never.

"How about it, Hyuuga?"she asked, eyes hooded to match the cocky grin that curved her lips into something that wasn't quite a smirk as she held the cap out and effectively blocked his way, "You in?"

Cold eyes met her hazel ones before he glanced down at the cap in her hand, "For?"

"7 minutes in heaven, dude," the boy whose cap she'd swiped interjected, "So, are you in or not? Because you're holding up the game."

Neji rolled his eyes. "Not," he drawled and started forward again.

She felt panic rise up in her gut, spiking across her chest, as he made move to go around her. Without thinking too much on it, reacting more or less, she stepped in front of him again and earned herself a cutting glare. "Scared, Hyuuga?" she almost breathed; it was just loud enough for the people around them to hear and just dark enough to elicit some whispers. "You'd probably have no idea of what to do if you even managed to get into the closet."

Then people were murmuring; some laughed and snickered. She could hear a few 'oooohhhhh' sounds going around; mostly from the guys. A lot of the girls closer by put their hands over their mouths once they made an O sort of shape.

It's nothing they weren't used to, she supposed. After all, it was a well known fact both she and Neji were practically at each other's throats on a semi-regular basis. Maybe not to this extent, but it happened.

"Whoa!" Kiba slapped a hand onto Neji's shoulder as the Hyuuga froze in place, "Buuuuurn!" he exaggerated in a way that was purely Kiba. He was looking at him, trying to gage his reaction to her. "Fuck, Hyuuga, are you going to take that lying down?"

The icy stare his face shifted into smoothly, as he locked his gaze on hers, burned into her until Tenten felt as frozen as he'd been a moment before; she refused to let him see it though and kept her expression the same as before, if not, a bit more curious.

In the meantime, Kiba was snickering and everyone else was waiting for Neji to retaliate but Tenten knew she'd won when he all but ripped the notebook and pen out of the boy's hands who'd supplied the hat.

Her grin changed fully into a smirk as she watched him, arms crossed over her chest.

"As if you would ever be lucky enough to find what I'm capable of," she heard him half-snap, half-snarl as he scrawled his name across the pad and ripped the page away; it crumbled in his hand as his eyes remained fixed on hers; they stayed as he dropped it into the hat she held out to him.

_Like I'd ever put myself there_, she chose to think and not say.

She eventually cleared her throat, more for herself than to get anyone's attention. "Okay, so that's everyone?" she asked, glancing around and studiously ignoring Neji's death glare and Kiba's cat-calls.

"Here," a slender hand reached over and dropped another piece of paper into the hat, "I wrote yours down for you, Ten."

Semi-frantic, narrowed, hazel eyes lifted as she stared at Temari – her _best friend_ Temari – who had appeared from nowhere to stab her in the back. The blonde winked at Tenten and, with a light laugh, withdrew to the edges of the crowd that had gathered by this time. A quick glance towards the Hyuuga confirmed her fears; after everything she'd said to him there was no way she could back out now. She felt her jaw tighten.

"I'll draw the names."

The hat was unceremoniously yanked out of her grasp by the boy to whom it belonged and he shook it a few times to shuffle the pieces of paper before digging a hand into its depths. Giggles and shuffles broke the suddenly anticipatory silence as everyone waited to see who would be called, but Tenten only closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. What was the gut-curdling feeling she had?

"Neji."

The boy's voice carried clearly over the noise and from the corner of her eye Tenten could see the Hyuuga frown and the Inuzuka smirk. There was a sudden rustling through the crowd as the girls shifted and ran their fingers through their hair, shooting coy glances at Neji from beneath lowered lashes. Tenten couldn't help but allow the corner of her lips curl as she saw the way Neji tensed; barely managing to hold on to his accustomed cool. She tried to feel sorry him, really she did. Who'd want to be stuffed in a cramped closet with a fangirl? But, after the pass of fifteen seconds, she remembered just what an ass he was and all mercy was lost to her.

"Tenten."

"Hmm?" the brunette asked absently, half-turning towards the sound of her name, half caught up in her own musings of scoring another point in her favour for a second time that day.

The cat-calls and the whistles, the giggles and the sudden dread, clued Tenten in on what had just happened. She turned towards Temari but the blonde was clapping her hands as she laughed, nearly doubled over with mirth. No help there, then, Tenten thought with mild irritation and grimly twitching lips. She turned towards the Hyuuga only to find him suddenly much closer than he'd been before. His light eyes burned into hers, and … was it her imagination or was there a flash of hesitance in their depths?

"Come on, Sarutobi," she heard him say with a low venom laced in his voice as he took hold of her upper arm, "this is what you were angling for, isn't it."

Then she was being unceremoniously pushed forward. His hand on her arm burned her bare skin and it suddenly occurred to her that it might have been better to have worn something with long sleeves unlike the thin, cotton tank top she'd put on earlier. With no chance to gather her scattered wits Tenten simply moved her legs, one in front of the other, as Neji propelled her forward.

It happened so quickly that her normal aggression in regards to Neji appeared as frozen in momentum as her voice was.

Someone opened the door of what turned out to be a coat closet—sans the coats—and then Tenten was pushed into the small, dark space. Neji's one hand rested on the small of her back, where he'd placed it to push her into the closet, the other was still on her upper arm. Distantly she could hear laughter resuming, the people on the other side starting to speculate on how far things would go, but she wasn't really capable of thinking at all. There was nothing but the blank, absent, stilled hum of her heartbeat in her ears and muffled chortling of those behind her through the open door.

Subconsciously, she swallowed.

She could feel the heated puffs of air where Neji's breath brushed the side of her neck. She suppressed the shiver that wanted to skate down her spine, suppressed the instinctive urge to close her eyes and lean back against him… His hands moved. Withdrew.

_SNAP!_

Darkness.

Abruptly, the haze was gone, the sounds returned and her eyes lost their glazed-over appearance. She snarled and she pushed, half stumbled, trying to turn around so she could _hit_ him better.

"Get off of me, Hyuuga!" she snapped as she felt heat creep up her face, half in anger and half in something else.

He couldn't stop the gasp that escaped him, that shot out of his lungs, as her ass rubbed against his groin—_firmly_. He closed his mouth with a snap and his jaw flexed, tightened, painfully in reaction to her body against his. Her warm back flatted against his chest as she tried to find room to turn around. He found himself bumping against the door, rattling it. He exhaled again, growing more furious by the moment at the way the heat rolled off her and under his skin. He—.

His eyes widened a fraction in shock as his body shuddered reflexively and something _hardened._ He stilled as the information washed over him—for the _second_ time that day. It was enough to snap at his precious control, because of her—_again_.

"Stop that!" he hissed back as reaching between them and grabbed her wrists, effectively stopping her once she was facing him, "the damn closet is so small, I _can't_ move any further away, okay? I assure you, I have no desire to touch you so stop _freaking_ out." His voice sounded hoarse in his ears. _Fucking, Sarutobi._

"Fuck. You," Tenten shot back, beyond her normal endurance level with him. This was _beyond_ unacceptable, as he might say. "You've probably been dreaming about being this close to a girl. When's the last time _that_ happened? When your _mom_ still dressed you in skirts and put your hair up in pigtails?"

The stillness was absolute, the tension radiating off of him had Tenten almost shrinking back into the wall, trying to get as far away from him as possible. Half-panicked, half-amused she couldn't help but wonder if she'd pushed him too far this time. Her lips twitched to an almost smile in uncertainty as she tried to see him through the darkness.

"_What_?" he breathed the word incredulously, obviously struggling to hold onto his temper—his _sanity_.

She didn't know why she said it; she just couldn't _stop_ herself. "Oh, don't worry, Hyuuga. Your secret's safe with me – I won't tell Kiba how much of a girl you are." Her voice was laced with sarcasm—dripping in a way that was almost hateful.

Very suddenly he took a step forward, as much of a step as he could in the small closet. White-hot rage radiated off him. She couldn't see his face, but, she could feel it shooting right at her. Anxiety set it, real fear cut through her; her eyes widened a fraction, her lips parted and she found herself trying to back away from him. Her knees bumped against his, their feet tangling and Tenten instinctively reached out to anchor herself by grabbing onto Neji. Breathing hard, she lifted her head to glare accusingly up at him only to misjudge the distance that separated them in the dark.

"That's the third time today I've had my sexuality questioned," his breath was hot against her face, hateful, angry, violent and laced with a threat she couldn't quite process.

In reaction, confused anger, she tried to turn her face away, not at all appreciating the way his closeness was affecting her and -

Softness; warmth.

The shock was so absolute that it took a moment for Tenten to realize that the softness was his lips brushing against hers as she moved; the warmth, his sharp intake of breath at the touch. In the silence, the only sound was the deafening thumping of her heart, or, was it the sound of two hearts pounding in tandem? But then coherent thought fled when Neji's mouth descended again, pressing firmly to hers this time.

It was unlike the fleeting, butterfly touch of before.

Electricity arched through her, her senses heightened, the brush of his hands at her hips as he pulled her tightly against him burned through her jeans, branding her skin. His mouth slanted across hers, his tongue tracing softly along her lower lip as little bolts of lightning shot through her. Slowly Tenten opened her mouth, a little gasp escaping to fall onto his lips; he took advantage of the surrender, his tongue sweeping out to tangle with hers.

Then there was only sensation. Sudden and violent as all contact between them had always been.

From far away, Tenten was aware of the stumbling, half-step they took, of Neji pressing her against the wall. His hands slid from her hips, one brushing up her stomach, over her shoulder, to bury in her hair and angle her for his kiss, the other slipping down, over the curve of ass as he coaxed her leg to lift and wrap around his hip. One aggressive pull and she was suddenly flush against him with her back to the wall; the heat and solidness of his body between her legs made her moan low in her throat as Neji's lips trailed a fiery path down her neck, harsh panted breaths washing over the wet prints he left on her skin. Her hips rolled instinctively as he bit down on the soft skin where her neck curved into her shoulder.

She exhaled sharply, erratically.

His hand and arm flattened against the wall next to her head while the other roved up and over her abdomen. His thumb cut a path across her flesh, barely lifting the edge of her tank top. It folded back down as he pressed further, harder and molded his palm against her breast.

Her hands slid up and over his stomach, searing a path along his skin; her nails bit into his chest under the thin material of his soft cotton shirt; she wasn't pushing away.

His breath was heavy across her neck as he trailed his lips up to the underside of her ear. Without thought, he tugged the lobe into his mouth, nipping lightly as he pinched the protruding center of her breast betwixt his thumb and forefinger.

She jumped against him, throat heavy with sound, as her stomach nearly flattened against his in her arch. He pressed back, thrusting into the heat of her core under two layers of jeans. He felt her arms wrap about his neck and she held on, lifting herself with her hands against his shoulders; she accommodated for him as she thrust against him in return, gasping, crying out in want that was a heat wave across his neck and ear. It shot straight through him, hardened him further _if_ that were possible to believe. He groaned, eyes closing at the spray of color that electrified across them beneath closed lids.

Her hips burned against his, grinding unabashedly and without shame; her thighs dug into his hips and inadvertently pulled down on his jeans. The leather of his belt cut into his skin but he didn't give a damn.

Because her teeth were on his neck, biting him this time—_hard_.

Whatever was left of his sensible control was lost as he ground against her, as she ground against him, as they both pushed each other closer and closer to some pivotal eruption that couldn't be stopped.

"Just..." he heard her breathe, pant, across his ear. "A little... almost..."

His hands dropped to her sides and dug into her hips; his grip was painfully hard but he didn't care as he moved against her, giving her what she wanted—what he wanted, beat her lower back into the wall and growled into the drywall as she bit into his neck again.

God, that felt good.

"Neji..." her voice ached, gasped as she arched into him again, going as flush as she could; hearing it on a throaty, deep gasp made him aggressive. She clung to him; he could feel her hard nipples between the layers of fabric sliding against him. He wanted her bare, unclothed against him. Beneath him. It was a raw, fleeting thought that just made the throbbing pleasure that hit every time he rubbed his hard length against her center heighten and barely peak on the edge. It slid, quickly; friction made it hotter, almost painful; he didn't care.

And then she tensed against him, screaming into his neck as she bit down hard enough to pierce the first layer of skin. Her thighs were a vice against him; her hands gripped at his shirt and he heard a distinct rip. As she rode the last wave, still shuddering and thrusting against him he met her, barely able to stop himself with her writhing against him in euphoria. He grunted, groaned and tried to suppress the growl that was coating his throat and edging its way out of his mouth as he jerked against her two or three more times, hot, soppy mess coating the inside of his boxer-briefs in climactic finality.

She sagged against him, panting heavily on his neck. His forehead rested against the drywall, perspiration pooling there between his skin and the wall. Waves of release rolled through his body, off of him and dragged him down. His legs felt stiff and he couldn't find the energy to move away from the warm body pitifully hanging on him, her only leverage the wall.

_BANG!_

"Oi! You two done! Unlock the damn door!"

Neji's eyes flashed open.

_Goddamnit!_

* * *

**Blade AN :: **Hey! -waves- Blade here! I'm the girl who wrote the recent Ms X for this pairing. I'm also the gal that loves Kakashi/Sakura and wrote Sinch in Time! Maybe some of you know me, maybe you don't. -grins- It's cool either way. But, don't forget about me when you leave Ms. Noki-hime reviews. And if you want to check out my other fanfiction—non-collaborated—then search for me under **Blade Redwind**

—**Blade**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

* * *

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

_**Chapter 3**_

Her breath brushed lightly along his neck; tingling bolts of electricity running down his skin at the touch.

"Damnit ... No..."

He heard her sighing groan from far away, really only aware of the sudden coldness as her legs unwrapped from around his hips and dropped to the sound was much louder in the dark as the sense of hearing tried to compensate for lack of sight. The pounding on the door seemed to reverberate through his entire body – or maybe that was just the aftershocks. For a moment, Neji was deeply thankful for the darkness that hid the wildness in his eyes, the trembling of his hands. It was bad enough that he'd gotten off _dry-humping a girl in a closet_. He didn't need said girl to witness him in the direct aftermath – knowing Tenten she'd never let him live it down. A grim smirk pulled at his lips; he doubted she'd even care that the evidence damned her just as much as it did him. She had less to lose.

The pounding continued, voices calling from far away that their time was up, but Neji ignored the people gathered outside for a moment. He leaned forward, his lips a hairsbreadth from her ear and whispered to her, hoping that the threat he wanted to convey was shining through because he couldn't hear his own tone of voice over the buzzing of his scattered thoughts.

"_Nothing _happened."

He couldn't see her; couldn't see her reaction, but maybe that was also for the best. Without waiting for a reply he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, pushing down as far as the material would stretch, trying to relieve the sticky fabric of his boxers from permanently attaching to his skin. One hand lifted out of the pocket, once he'd tested its length, opening the door with a sharp turn to the knob, before returning to its cradle of soft fabric. He pushed the door open with his foot, firmly ignoring the girl behind him all the while. A deep breath didn't do much to stop the welling of shame as he walked out, head held high. He hoped that the slight flush on his cheeks could be chalked up to being locked in a closet with someone he didn't exactly get along with, as everyone knew; hoped that would be the conclusion they'd all jump to, and firmly fixed his worst scowl into place.

There was dead silence but Neji pretended that there was no one there at all as he shouldered his way through the knot of onlookers. A small frown replaced the scowl once he was past and the snickers started up.

"Dude."

Kiba's eyebrows were raised so high they seemed to disappear into his hairline, the look of disbelief would've been almost comical if it hadn't been for the fact that the Inuzuka boy was staring at his neck, eyes periodically drifting to his shoulder, a half-smirk pulling at his lips. Neji firmly ignored him too, pearlescent eyes scanning the crowd, searching for his cousin. His irritation was mounting by the minute – not only was he in desperate need of a shower and a change of clothes, not only had he just gotten off on _Tenten_, not only was he stuck in adolescent hell … he also had a younger cousin to protect. Thoughts of Hanabi with … _that girl's_ … cousin was enough to stoke the irritation higher but that evil voice at the back of his head, the voice that got him into these kinds of situations with disturbing regularity, wondered if Konohamaru had the same reckless approach to life as Tenten did; was it in the genes? He'd heard the rumors about their uncle, the way he'd burned through women until meeting someone last year.

The thoughts clicked together; he'd been so focused on Tenten and sex in the same sentence that he'd forgotten to put Konohamaru and sex into the same equation … an equation that led straight to Hanabi. His eyes widened fractionally, already tensed muscles pulling even tighter, and to his immense relief, just as he thought he might explode, he caught sight of Hinata hovering near the far wall. Watching him – just like everyone else. Hinata was usually quiet, easily embarrassed, but the deep blush she sported when his eyes caught hers only made the irritation dull to a cold sort of unease.

First Kiba and now Hinata?

"Hinata," he barked, glaring at a few of the bolder souls who still hadn't gone back to their conversations. "Get Hanabi. We're going. Now."

He didn't bother to listen to the sounds behind him ; it appeared as if Tenten was being converged upon – and by her carefree laughter he couldn't judge if she was keeping the secret or not - but that was a worry for later. He also didn't pay any mind to Hinata's stuttering reply; the only thing he cared about was the fact that she whirled around at his order and was now winding her way through the crowd to fetch her sister.

"I'm heading out to the car," Neji muttered to Kiba, "can you see that they come straight out? I really want to get out of here."

"I'll bet," Kiba snickered, but raised his hands in surrender when Neji turned fully to glare at him with all the strength he could muster, "Calm the fuck down, Hyuuga. Yeah, I'll send them out."

"You coming or staying?" Neji asked over his shoulder, already heading for the door, the promise of quiet, peace, and being left alone overwhelming the irritation and unease.

"I'll catch a ride."

He was thankful that Kiba decided to stay; he was in no mood to rehash a made-up version of what happened in the closet – and he knew Kiba well enough to know that there was no way he was going to let this go. Deep gulps of cool, fresh air went a long way to making him feel more like himself and by the time Neji reached his car, he could feel his customary calm sliding over him like a shroud.

For once the Lotus M250 did nothing for him; it did not draw the usual appreciation, the admiration for an incredible machine, no. It was just a car. A haven he could slide into, the leather of the steering wheel a comforting hug as he rested his forehead against it.

Her moans still rang in his ears, the scrape of her teeth tingled on his neck … the tightness of her thighs locked around his hips … that incredible heat he couldn't help but want to sink into …

"Fuck!"

His hand stung when it connected with the steering wheel sharply but Neji immediately drew a succession of deep breaths, putting her – and the sounds she made, the way she felt – out of his mind.

_What the hell is wrong with you, Hyuuga?_

The thought was tinged with bitterness – was this what he'd sunk to? Was he really that much of a slave to his hormones? It was all her fault, Neji decided, a growl nearly baring his teeth.

"We're here," Hinata's soft voice announced, as she slid into the backseat after a brief scuffle with her younger sister. Vaguely Neji registered the youngest Hyuuga's hissed 'I don't want to sit next to him when he's like this' but he gritted his teeth and merely started the engine.

His cousins knew him; probably as well as it was possible for anyone to know him. After all you didn't live with someone for nigh on a decade and not pick up on their little idiosyncrasies. Tonight Neji was thankful for that, as the girls stayed quiet for the five minute drive home. They practically ran for the front door once he'd parked the car; he let them. He wasn't planning on saying anything to his uncle and repeat warnings to Hanabi could be issued once he felt like himself again. Tiredness pervaded his body, a slow insidious serpent spreading through his blood, turning his bones to water; he welcomed it, rejoiced in it. All he wanted was a hot shower and a warm bed. No thoughts, no self-recrimination, no replays of how hot it had been … just nothing. Blissful nothing.

His bathroom had never been more welcoming, the clinical white tiles sparkling under the fluorescent lights. He twisted the knobs on the shower and turned toward the laundry hamper as he slid his shirt from his body in a smooth movement, thumbs hooked under the neckline. His vision was a little blurry but something seemed … off.

Shock ripped through him, yanked him from his stupor; sent adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"What…"

A closer inspection was necessary, clearly, his eyes must be deceiving him … the fabric nearly touched his nose before he was convinced his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. There were a set of very distinct rips just over the shoulder; they looked like claw marks. His eyes narrowed and then flew wide as his newly awakened powers of reasoning worked overtime.

"No … fuck …"

He never swore, not much anyway, but this time the hushed whisper of sound was entirely called for. Neji whirled around to face the full-length mirror on the back of the door. He turned his head, one hand sweeping the long tail of chocolate hair over the opposite shoulder where it spilled like a waterfall at night over his pale skin.

His eye locked on the dark, purplish bruise, the faint indention of teeth …

"_Bitch_."

* * *

She chewed her cereal with all the enthusiasm of a horse munching on oats out of a feed bag. Bedraggled eyes were dead; they looked dead enough. Her shoulders were hunched, pulling tight on the fabric that was her oversized, vintage _Guns 'N Roses_ concert shirt. One of her legs rested with the side of the calf flat on the edge of her chair while the other, foot flat, locked it into place with the heel; her knee was close to her face as she half -pressed into her thigh. Her hair was a tangled mess, half in buns and half spilling over her shoulders. Overall, the image presented was that of an ogre, or a troll contemplating its next meal while it gnawed on the present.

Konohamaru, Asuma, eyed her as one might eye a starving, homeless, monster; one that they were not entirely sure would pounce on them or not, should they speak to it or move.

Finally though. "What happened to her?" Asuma whispered.

Now, while Konohamaru wasn't a complete _idiot_, he was a boy; a boy that happened to consider the dreadful representation of the girl before him his sister, cousin by blood or not. It was with this idealism imbued within him for many years, so thoroughly woven into his blood that gave cause for him to respond; a grin was firmly planted, branded, into his features.

"She mauled Hyuuga in the closet last night at the party."

New life surged into her chocolate-hazel hues as Konohamaru spoke; she turned to him, jaw tight, glaring.

Asuma was choking on his coffee, half spilling it on the table whilst he tried to avoid dropping the liquid on his lap. "W-What?" he rasped, finally setting the cup down and looking over at her.

She growled at her cousin; her fist slammed onto the table, rattling silverware and glass. "_Nothing_ happened."

Konohamaru chortled laughter. "Yeah, because, ya know, the bite marks on his neck were _nothing_."

She was sorely tempted to throw the remnants of her cereal, bowl included, at her piss-poor excuse of a little brother.

"Should I be concerned?" Asuma asked, looking less than open to that idea.

She rolled her eyes and dropped her legs so her feet touched the floor. "No, you shouldn't be. _Because_," she emphasized, eyeing Konohamaru, "_nothing happened_." She took a rather large bite of her Cheerios.

"...You at least used a con—."

"Uncle!" she snapped, interrupting him just as she swallowed her breakfast. Her eyes were wide on him, appalled. "We were in the closet for all of seven minu—."

"Ten," Konohamaru supplied, snickering.

She shot him a cold glare. "We were in the closet for _seven_ minutes," she repeated, completing her sentence. "But," she bit off, stabbing the soppy, milky mess in bowel with her spoon, "if it makes you feel any better, I can take a pregnancy test." She rolled her gaze over to Asuma, giving him a sinfully sarcastic smile that had the words 'just peachy' written all over it.

Asuma shook his head as he lit a cigarette. "_No_, I'm good thanks."

"Thank you," she replied smoothly, stuffing her face again.

Konohamaru snickered again. "You fail at pretending to be a good parental unit, Uncle."

It was Asuma's turn to roll his eyes; he took a long drag from his cigarette before ashing it into his empty glass. He exhaled smoke upward. "Well, I know who my favourite is _now_."

Tenten grinned through her food as Konohamaru glared at her. She swallowed. "Yeah, imp. Besides, did you forget _why_ I was in the closet with that prima-donna? Oh," she said as if suddenly recalling it herself; sarcasm present. "That's right, giving you some time to get in good with his cousin." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Ungrateful little snot."

"Blah, blah, blah," he returned. "As if you suffered so _badly_. I doubt you were fending off his attacks when you bit his neck."

"Keep talking," she fired back, pointing her spoon at him. "You're digging yourself a hole I won't toss you a rope down into to get out."

Asuma chuckled. "I think in this situation, the phrase, 'Don't bite the hand that feeds you," comes to mind." The double entendre didn't go without notice by the brunette.

The younger male crossed his arms over his chest, half frowning. "Yeah, and what's she feeding me?"

"Advice," she replied, scraping her bowl. She slammed her juice, stood up and rinsed her bowl in the sink. She shut the water off. She quickly changed the subject; whether it was because she wanted to forget about last night, or, remove the thought-provoking image of beating her little cousin into an early grave she couldn't be sure. "I'm heading out to Temari's place."

"What time will you be home?" Asuma glanced over at her, pulling the smoking stick from betwixt his lips to hang between his fingers. He turned slightly in his seat to see her.

She shrugged and then sighed. "Maybe... ten? At the latest." She turned and gave him and quick hug. "I'll call you if something changes. That alright, Uncle?"

He let out a long sigh. "Yeah, sure. It's not like I'm any good at this right?"

She laughed as she pulled away from him. "You try, Uncle. You try." And then she was gone around the corner.

"So," the older male mused out, brow arching on his nephew, "What were you doing while she was in the closet, hm?"

"Ah... yeah... about... _that..._"

* * *

Temari's house was old; not the sort of old that people tried to replicate with new homes, no, her house had been standing in the same place, on the same lot, with almost all of the same wood accents for well over a hundred years—just like every other house on the block. Everyone's parents had different tastes; Temari's just happened to like Victorian. Sakura and she had always poked fun at the dusty-rose hue of the paint that covered much of the outside. Temari, being more the tomboy sort than either of them put together, didn't really enjoy the sentiment, but chose to roll her eyes and blame her mother.

It wasn't very big; not really. But, it wasn't small either. It was one of those two-story, middle-sized sort of homes that people with money had used for summer vacation. It was pretty, as far as she was concerned, but, she probably wouldn't pick something like it for herself.

She reached up and knocked a few times; one hand, as per usual, was half dug into her jean pocket. Her digits all but disappeared into the tightness of her white-washed jeans while her thumb hooked into one of the belt loops. She took a step back, waiting as she heard the rumble of running feet likely coming down from the stairs not far from the door.

The door opened and Tenten grinned brightly at Sakura. "Hey."

"Shikamaru is here," her friend said with a snicker in her voice.

Tenten raised a brow, smile threatening to blossom as she stepped into the house. "...Why?"

Sakura shut the door and came up next to her as they walked into the living room. "His mom needed a cup of salt for some recipe. So, she sent him over." She jutted a thumb in the direction of the kitchen to her left. "She's in there getting it for him now."

Tenten chuckled. "I bet she's not happy about that."

"Yeah, well, I was in her room getting something when you knocked; who knows what they're up to now." She shrugged. "She's either kissing him or killing him."

Tenten wanted to bet on the kissing part, but, didn't comment as the blonde came through the swinging door, Shikamaru in tow. Her arms were crossed over her chest and there was a semi-permanent scowl attached to her face as she walked the distance of the living room to the front door.

"There isn't anything else, is there, crybaby?" she bit off.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah… I hope not."

Tenten chuckled. "Hey, Shika."

He waved, but, not much more as he made his way towards the door Temari now held open for him.

"See ya, 'Maru!" Sakura called out with a wave and grin of her own.

Temari didn't give him an opportunity to respond even if he was so inclined; the door shut less than a second after he passed the threshold. "Man, I hate that idiot. Salt, my ass."

Tenten's laughter was soft. "Aw, 'Mari, you shouldn't be so hard on him. He's a nice guy; plus, he likes you. Probably as much as you like him."

The blonde shot her a glare. "Like hell. I should hit you right now for even saying so."

Tenten stuck her tongue at her. "Yeah, but you won't because you love me."

It was Temari's turn to roll her eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, the way I act around that crybaby is like child's play compared to what _you_ did to Neji last night." Temari raised a curious brow following her rebuttal. Sakura immediately smacked her hand over her open mouth—the action didn't surprise Tenten _too_ much. But, the combination of both did make her bare her teeth a little as she flexed her jaw.

She turned on her heel. "So, are we ordering pizza or what?"

Sakura grinned at the same moment her arms crossed over her chest. She glanced over at Temari who gave the pinkette a similar look. To the avid onlooker the mutual understanding spoke volumes: We'll get it out of her.

"Yeah, sounds good," Temari called out to her just as her friend flopped on the couch across the way. "I'll get the phone. Mom got us pop in the fridge, so, if you're thirsty grab some." Without much else she headed into the kitchen.

Sakura joined her as the brunette switched the flat screen on. A few minutes passed in which Tenten was trying to find something vaguely interesting to watch; that is, until Temari came out and snatched up the remote. The TV was promptly put on a college lacrosse game as she dumped a large bowl of popcorn into Tenten's lap. She was in the middle of the two girls, so, she supposed it made sense.

It was another hour later they had a pizza box and cans of soda all over the coffee table.

"Oh my god! What the hell? Did you _see_ that play?" the blonde cried as she pointed at the screen with one hand; the other had a half-eaten slice in it.

"Who are you rooting for anyway?" Sakura asked, leaning forward to look at her. "You've complained about several different plays from either team."

"Whoever wins, of course," she responded as if it were obvious. "But, a dumb play is still a dumb play. And they've both done a lot of it in the last half hour."

"Then why in the hell are we watching it?" the pinkette replied as she pulled her shoulder-length strands into a ponytail. "Let's find something else."

Temari's eyes narrowed in scrutiny and she leaned forward to see Sakura on the other side of Tenten. "You just wanna watch something girlie and romantic."

"Huh?" She jerked her gaze in her blonde's friend's direction. "_Please_, like you never watch them."

"At this moment I'd prefer something bloody or something with explosions."

"I really don't care what we watch as long as it's not this," Sakura deadpanned.

"What about you, Tenny? What are we watching?"

The brunette pulled her gaze away from the television screen where she'd been half zoning out; her chocolate orbs blinked at Temari who was looking at her with a questioning gaze and a raised brow. "Personally," she began with a bit of a sigh in her voice—mostly out of laziness, "I think we should all break even and just watch Comedy Central."

"I second," Sakura replied, hand raising.

Temari shrugged and flipped the channel; laughter rang out of the speakers from the audience. She dropped the remote on the coffee table. "So," she started after a good five minutes or so, "what in the hell happened to you and Neji in the closet anyway?"

"Nothing," she replied, trying to keep the bite out of her voice.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're kidding, right? You're not gonna tell us?"

"I'm not telling you anything because nothing happened." Tenten spread her legs a little further and slouched more soundly into the couch; the back of her neck got lost in the plush cushion behind her.

"Yeah? And what about the way he looked when he came out?" Temari had by now finished her slice of pizza; she grabbed a handful of popcorn from the metal bowl in Tenten's lap. "The bite mark? The red lines down his back?"

"Don't forget the way his shirt was ripped all to hell and back," Sakura snorted out before taking a sip of her drink. "Seriously, what did you guys _do_?"

"Nothing!" she half shouted.

Temari eyed her, her own can of soda a few inches from her face. "It has to be bad then..."

"Oh my god!" Sakura shouted, eyes widened as a humorous grin started to pour over her features; she turned towards the brunette, legs crossed in a sitting position as she closed in on her friend. "Did you have sex with him?"

"_What_?" Tenten half glared at her. "Seven minutes? That's barely enough time to—."

"Ten minutes," Temari interrupted, pointing at her, can in hand, "is plenty of time to do the deed."

Tenten resisted the urge to groan at them both. "I did _not_ have sex with Hyuuga." That wasn't a lie, at least; it's not as if she could lie to her two best friends.

"Hmm..." Temari tapped her chin. "You kissed him then."

Tenten frowned. "Like I said. Nothing. And anyway," she really did glare at her now, "I wouldn't have gotten into this whole mess if a certain someone hadn't put my name in that hat."

Temari chuckled. "Oh whatever; like I knew you were going to get saddled with him in a dark, quarter- inch space. I'm totally allowed to laugh at you; if it had been me and Shikamaru you would have done the exact same thing." She pointed a finger at her again before Tenten opened her mouth to reply. "Don't even try and tell me you wouldn't. And you'd be laughing your ass off too."

Was she actually comparing her and Neji to herself and Shikamaru? "Are you kidding me? That's completely different."

"How?"

"Well, for one, Shika actually happens to be a nice guy. He smart, funny, and he doesn't bully people."

"Neji doesn't bully anyone. Not really..."

Tenten barked laughter and turned her eyes back to the TV, relaxing back once more. "No, he does worse; he just stands idly by while his _friends_ do." She stuffed a couple pieces of popcorn in her mouth, crunching.

Temari frowned.

Sakura sighed; she turned back to face the TV and reached for a slice of pepperoni.

"You know, maybe you guys would quit worrying about what I do with my worst enemy in a closet so much if you just got boyfriends and had sex lives of your own." She leaned forward and took her drink; there was a very unladylike swig next and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You're one to talk," Sakura replied.

"Excuse me?" Tenten deadpanned, sliding her gaze over to the pinkette momentarily, "Who's the non-virgin in the room? Whose last sexual encounter was about a month ago? Yeah, me."

"You don't know if I'm a virgin!" Sakura cried out.

"The point _is_," Temari interrupted, not wanting this turned on them at all, "You don't have a boyfriend anymore than we do. In fact, you never have. It's a _little_ weird, Ten. You're a senior."

"That's because I don't want one," she muttered, smirk half forming.

"And yet you still occasionally sleep with guys from other schools," Sakura said.

"You know, if you were any other person, I would think you were calling me a slut." The brunette raised a brow at her, lips quirking. "Whatever, I've only slept with what? Like, four guys my whole life? That's not a lot.

"And for your information, there are very good reasons I only sleep with guys from other schools. One reason being I don't want a boyfriend." She held up one finger to illustrate her point. "Two, there's this nasty little stigma that comes with being a girl who sleeps with people but isn't in a relationship." The second finger came up. "And three, quite frankly, I don't want my business spread all over _my_ school because some dipshit who's pissed I won't date him decides to spread a bunch of nasty rumours about me."

"Does that well enough cover it for you both?"

Temari blew air up, upsetting her bangs slightly as she expressed her exasperation. "You know, I get you have this whole _thing_ with not wanting be in committed relationship and all... really, I do. But, no one's asking you to marry them; you could give it a try."

"And here I thought you of all people would understand."

"Not being with a guy because you don't want to be with anyone is different than not being with a guy because you're afraid, Ten," Sakura added just before she took another bite of her pizza, eyes on the TV.

What was with them? Why was she getting the third fucking degree? Granted, this wasn't the first time they'd talked about this, but, fuck. Her weekend had been awful enough without them butting in and trying to play psycho-analyst. She would almost rather have them hassling her about Hyuuga. "Heh, maybe I'll give it a try when you give Shika a try; because, we all know that isn't happening in a fucking million years." She chose not to look at either of them and instead focused her eyes on the screen, popping popcorn into her mouth every so often.

_Traitors_.

"I don't really give a damn if you date anyone, Ten," Temari replied, her voice lacking bite or sarcasm. She grabbed some more popcorn. "I'm just saying you've never had a boyfriend that I know of, that it's a little weird to some, _and_ that it wouldn't kill you if you decided to put yourself in a relationship. It's high school, not matchmaking for marriage one-oh-one." She stuffed the yellow puff into her mouth and crunched.

"Meh," she muttered out like a child, not caring as she noted they were getting low on popcorn.

"So, you're really not going to tell us what happened in the closet, Ten?" Sakura edged with a little smile. "You can't expect us not to bug you about it... I mean, it's Neji."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "... No."

"She totally kissed him," Temari laughed out, avoiding the pillow Tenten smacked her with. "Hey! Not fair!"

"Totally fair!" The brunette had set the popcorn down; the pillow was in hand as she attacked Temari again. There was laughter as she got up and ran from her, grabbing a pillow of her own.

"My mother is going to kill us if we bust these!" Temari cried out, trying to sound stern.

"Ha! The punishment will serve you right for being such a bitch!" Tenten climbed over the couch and chased her. But, she was ambushed by Sakura with a pillow of her own and ended up tripping on the floor. It wasn't long after that that both girls toppled onto her and tickled her to death, trying to extradite information from her about last night.

In the end, she didn't tell them anything; she admitted too, the laughter had been good for her, just what she needed. In fact, she was feeling almost perfect despite last night as she drove home. There had been this awesome jam screaming out of her car speakers from her favourite radio station, no one had been on the road and no one was with her so she could enjoy the way the volume took over the interior of her vehicle and turned her mood up further. It was about as good as it got for her on a normal day; it was certainly better than she expected to feel considering the night before. She'd been doing just fine, beyond good.

Until disaster struck.

* * *

Her booted foot connected with the rubber of the tire with all the force her slender frame could muster. She loved her car; she honestly did … and it was probably more than a little her fault that she hadn't scheduled its check-up earlier – the garage hadn't been able to book her until tomorrow– but, couldn't it have been a little more considerate and waited until she was home before deciding to break down?

She glared at the golden-brown of her little '71 Dodge Demon; as if doing so would make it hum to life and she could go home, on her merry way. Instead, it just sat there, looking helpless under her scrutiny in way that made her even more frustrated.

She resisted the urge to _hit_ her car and instead ran a hand through her bound strands, upsetting them but not undoing them; she turned around and paced a few steps, thinking.

Her thoughts ran over all the possibilities. She was about half-way home from Temari's house. Considering that Temari lived on the other side of town in the older, historical district … this meant she was in for quite a walk.

She stopped and faced her car, hands firmly planted on her hips.

Thus far her phone was dead, her car's transmission was questionably fruitless in its operation, there wasn't a payphone in sight, anyone she knew was too far to walk to, and, her house—being the closest— was a good five mile walk away. In a car, five miles was maybe ten or fifteen minutes. Walking? Heh...

She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest; her lower back pressed into the window-ledge of her driver's side door. She was convinced; her night couldn't _possibly_ get any worse.

_SPLAT!_

Warm droplets pelted her body; it was an onslaught lacking of the perpetual and signifying scream of thunder or the white-hot clash of lightening.

Tenten's eyes shut; the action was painfully tight. Her jaw flexed, tightened. Her hands coiled into fists as the rest of her body flexed. She was soaked in a matter of moments; her shirt and jeans stuck to her like an irritating second skin she couldn't escape.

"Fuck!" she snapped, yelled in some combination of a scream and a growl. Her foot stamped once, because, quite frankly, she couldn't go on after that without expending some of her frustration.

Biting back another curse she spun around and slid the key into her car, locking it with a decisive click that was less than audible above the unrelenting downpour. She jerked her keys back into her pocket and trudged off towards the edge of the road, heading in the direction she'd been driving in to her house before her car had decided it was a fabulous time to betray her.

It was dark; light spun past her in a dim blink of headlights every so often. Other than her sloshing footsteps, there was nothing else. With the ongoing hum of silence pelting her she had nothing else to mull over but that which she did not want to.

Last night.

What had she been thinking?

But wasn't that the entire problem? She hadn't thought. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her actions, it wasn't that she was uncomfortable with the way her body had reacted… it was more just the fact that it was Neji _fucking_ Hyuuga.

Something slipped under her and she jolted, regaining her balance. She muttered something under hear breath as she was still and looked down. She lifted her foot to the side and reached, slipping her sandal-strap, piss-poor excuse for a shoe off.

"Perfect," she bit off, noting the heel of it had snapped; it delicately hung on a thread of torn leather. With jerky movements indicating her uphill ascension to barely tempered rage, Tenten tore her other shoe off, not even bothering to undo the tiny buckles that held it about her ankle.

What god had she pissed off?

The roar of an engine broke through her thoughts and Tenten whirled around hopefully, just in time to see the silver sports car turn the corner she'd left behind. There was something strangely familiar about it, but, before she could place the niggling feeling it had passed her and she was caught in the sound of the brakes screeching, the gears crunching and then the sight of the car reversing. Smooth mechanical whirring alerted her to the driver letting the window down.

"What the hell are you doing, Sarutobi?"

Great. Fantastic. In-fucking-credible. This was who fate sent her in her great hour of need? What had she done? Smothered a retarded kid in his sleep?

"I'm _walking_, Hyuuga." _Idiot._

Without waiting for the effects of her sarcasm, Tenten turned sharply on her bare heel and purposefully strode down the street. Fate could kiss ass her as if it thought she was getting in the car with him.

The engine prowled, rumbling behind her; the silver nose of the car drew level with her once more.

"I can see that. Why?" His voice was smooth, silky … and probing. She didn't like it. At all. It did nothing to ease her flaring temper.

Her arms swung beside her and her jaw set as she tried to ignore the way the wind chilled her, brief as it was. "Because I felt like taking a stroll," she snapped. "Or, maybe it's because the transmission in my car decided to crap out on me."

"Did you consider calling a tow truck?" he fired back. "I realize your level of problem solving skills leaves something to be desired, but, surely you know how to use a phone."

"How observant of you, Hyuuga," she returned flippantly, rolling her eyes. "Maybe if I had a working phone I would have. Now, piss off."

For a while all he did was follow her, car purring beside her. She kept counting the seconds, waiting for him to just go. Eventually, surely, he would get tired of driving at a snail's pace beside her. Surely. She was about to open her mouth and tell him to push off again, but, as soon as she began to he spoke.

"Get in, Sarutobi."

She stopped suddenly and whirled on him; the car jerked to a halt.

Sparks flew from her eyes, she felt like stamping her foot onto the pavement again, any kind of physical outlet would have been heaven-sent, but it was Neji so she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stare him down without moving a muscle.

He knew, the idiot knew if he did that then people would start honking their horns and going around him and she'd be forced to listen to a slew of people holler at her from their cars; at her and him, but, she didn't give a damn about him and how embarrassed he got—he obviously didn't. And then she would be forced to deal with it all the fucking way home, just icing her cake for the evening: dealing with a bunch of pissed off drivers, drawing attention to herself and the fucking Hyuuga.

"You're ridiculous," he finally sighed. "Just swallow your pride, ask me for help, and I'll take you home. It's simple. Even you shouldn't have trouble grasping that."

* * *

As he spoke the words some part of him was screaming at him to stop, to let the damn girl walk. It wasn't his problem and if she didn't ask him for anything he was under no obligation to force her to accept his help.

Only …

Only, he couldn't really stop himself. Irrespective of how they went at each other's throats on an unending bases, how much he hated her or she hated him, it was a good five miles from her home. It was raining. He could tell the wind had begun to pick up; her skin was glistening with a hint of pink.

It would simply be idiotic stupidity for him not do so. He wasn't that heartless, regardless of how she saw him.

She was staring at him in disbelief, temper sparking little red flames in the hazel of her eyes, hands coiling to fists at her sides; her knuckles were white.

"Like hell you will!"

She was nearly shouting; he couldn't really deny the satisfaction he got from seeing her react that way. "I am," Neji confirmed blandly.

Her limbs were quivering, he could see the way she was grinding her teeth.

"Is this your way of trying to reverse psychology me into getting into the car so the ordeal of your presence will be over sooner?" she asked archly, hissed really.

He shrugged. Whatever. He hadn't even thought of it that way but now that she mentioned it…

"It would make life easier for both of us," he pointed out reasonably.

Slender hands rose to grip her hips, her fingers clawing into the material, seconds dragged into minutes as both refused to back down.

He was just barely in time to unlock the door before she yanked it open and threw herself into the passenger seat without a word. She was barely in place before he accelerated, firmly trying to ignore the curious tingling feeling as his shoulder accidentally brushed against hers when he moved to turn the music back up.

She pushed his hand out of the way and his eyebrows rose. Did she have no idea of guest-protocol either?

"You got me here, Hyuuga. If I have put up with you I'm choosing the station," she pronounced and proceeded to fiddle with every knob and dial within reach.

His teeth ground together; he was surprised she couldn't hear it. A vein popped up on his forehead and he firmly tried to suppress the words – he didn't need to be as rude as she was but … the battle was over before it'd begun.

"Could you please try not to mess up my car when I'm doing you a favour?" he snapped.

She rolled her eyes. "Would it kill you to relax? I'm just choosing a new song… what the _hell_ are you getting so worked up about?" she retorted. If anyone should be cranky it should be her.

Fingers tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white, as he tried to control the words that wanted to throw themselves at her; deep down inside he finally admitted to himself that he was uneasy because it was Tenten, and, the last time he'd seen her she'd been wrapped firmly around him, moaning into his ear. It signified a loss of control – something he despised.

"Look," his voice was even, controlled, despite the anger, "I'm doing you a favour. Can you just accept it, shut up and sit still? Why do you feel the need to be busy?"

"Do I really put you on edge that much?" She sat back once she'd settled on a station; _Burn It To The Ground_, by Nickelback hummed in the background. She looked over at him; his cold hues were focused on the road ahead of him, beyond the pelted glass of his windshield.

"What you do is aggravate me beyond what is considered humanly possible," he replied, mentally patting himself on the back at how smooth that came out. "As for putting me on edge," he muttered, "there are better women."

"Excuse me?" she half sputtered, not believing what she'd heard. "And what about last night when you were half plastered all over me? What would you call that?"

He reached up, pushing aside a few errant strands; he tucked them behind his left ear. "It doesn't take an amazing level of talent to dry-hump in a closet; especially when one's exits are all but nonexistent."

"Truly?" she couldn't help but say. "So, you're saying I don't affect you at all? You wouldn't be the least bit turned on by me right now, even if I did something?"

"Truly," he replied, resting his fingertips on his temple, elbow on the window-ledge.

Was he serious? She supposed she should have been angrier, but, she wasn't. Instead something else turned around in her, mixing with the aggression she had not yet expressed.

Her lips curled into a devious smile. "Is that a challenge, Hyuuga?" her voice was low, laced with aggression. "Because," she murmured, "from where I'm sitting, it _sure_ sounds like one." She couldn't help herself; he was telling her she wasn't up to snuff. She couldn't _stand_ that.

"Just a fact," he replied as he forced himself to focus on the road and not on the girl next to him; he kept himself still as she inched closer to him; he stiffened as her warm hand smothered over the top and then the inside of his right thigh. Her thumb swept over the top, pushing a bump into the fabric just ahead of its movement.

She squeezed; he swallowed.

Her breasts, wet and cold, rubbed a chill into his bicep; the material soaked through and made the skin to skin contact that much more possible. There might as well not have been clothes at all. This thought became prominent as her tongue lit a wet path across his ear lobe. Focusing on the road became an excuse _not_ to move.

Her breath was hot, sending a roll of ache across his skin, "Well then, Hyuuga. Don't move if it doesn't affect you."

He exhaled slowly.

Her thumb rolled again, it curled into circles again and again as her hand inched up his thigh, closer and closer. His breath caught, stopped, in his throat as she swept upwards. He waited, jaw tight. Her fingers brushed just barely and he resisted the urge to jump.

_Bitch_.

She pulled the edge up his shirt up; it popped up and out of his pants after an agonizing slowness of action on her part, and beyond the belt that held tight and taunt against his lower abdominal. Warmth; her hand; electrical pricks danced and spread across his skin as her palm, her fingers, spread across his stomach.

He had to stop himself from closing his eyes as she bit down on his ear, as she licked the offended flesh before bringing it back into her mouth. His knuckles burned white into the steering wheel as he gripped it with both hands. At the same time her hand inched up closer to his chest; her cold thumb caressed over one nipple and he bit the inside of his cheek.

"Not so sassy now, are we, _prick_?" he heard her voice bite in his ear.

He didn't respond as her hand travelled back down again, across the flexing muscle of his stomach and abdomen. He tried to control his breathing as her palm slid—pressing hard—across that place he _wanted_ her to touch. A suppressed groan escaped him, deep from the cavern of his chest; his body had betrayed him, desperate for anything she would supply at any cost.

She laughed in his ear; the sound played with his senses. He was in such a euphoric haze by then he could barely register the flick of her experienced digits undoing the clasp of his belt and the button of his jeans. By the time he felt warm air across the skin of his hard flesh, the soft caress of her hand tugging at him, thumb rolling over the head, he was gone. He'd never been so happy to see the edge of the Sarutobi driveway, or so driven to put his hundred-thousand dollar car in park.

He'd lost his mind.

He ripped her hand from his hardened flesh. Her snap of surprise was brief as he pulled her, yanked her into his lap with no warning whatsoever. One hand was on her hip as the other wrapped about her, pulling her closer; his fingers tangled into her hair at the base of her skull, loosening the ties so that he could hold her head in place. His lips crashed to hers. All of it was one swift, concise movement that had her flush against him.

Her body, her clothes, were slick with moisture; the cold and heat of her soaked into him, into his shirt and jeans. She jerked against him, thrusting against him and his uncovered flesh between them. He growled into her mouth, unable to stop the explosion of color that blinded his vision, or the burst of heat and coursed his blood at that.

Her tongue swept over his as her hands gripped his cheeks to hold him to her; her fingers dug in his hair, his scalp. She pulled back a bare inch, catching breath across his face; his lower lip was drawn into her mouth, nipping, tugging, before she forced his lips to her again.

He adjusted, shifted, as she did. He wasn't entirely sure what she planned for him next; that was, until her hand wrapped around him again. He bucked under her, gasping between the connection of their lips as she pulled up softly.

"Fuck..." he breathed as she pulled away; he opened his eyes. His chest rose and fell erratically; his heart skipped its jerked momentum as hazel-brown caught opaque-white.

She wanted to watch him and he couldn't _find_ the will to look away from her as her fingers, wet, cold and hot all at once rolled over him. He didn't know how he knew that. He hated being at anyone's mercy, but, at that moment... in the dredges of his own weakness, he couldn't stop the raw, skipping, thought that he might not mind it so much if it was at _hers_.

His free hand slid over her thigh, not nearly as slowly as hers had; his fingers snapped for her fly. The vice of her jeans about her hips loosened as the button clipped open. His hand reached, smoothing over her abdomen. He could feel her panty line and drew it back and shifted, lifting.

Her sharp intake of breath mixed with a sound of pleasure filled him as he pressed his face, his lips, into the area of her collarbone. He nipped, licked, sucked, unable to stop himself; the thought didn't even cross his mind as she shuddered against him, as he got closer to that sweet center just a little lower...

_Tap, tap, tap..._

It took a moment for his dazed mind to realize that there was someone outside, tapping on the window. His body urged him to ignore the intruder...

"_Goddamnit_."

He heard her furious mutter into his hair before she yanked herself off of him, leaving him cold and bereft; he heard as she straightened her clothes and ran a hand through her tousled hair. For the first time Neji was truly grateful that he had a car with tinted windows. He rested his head back against the seat, fighting to still his heart and his breath, willing his body to calm down.

"Nothing happened, Hyuuga. _Nothing,_" she emphasized in a hissed warning.

She was gone, the cool rush of rain-heavy air doing less to calm his body and his thoughts than her words had done. The passenger side window was still slightly open and he could hear every word her cousin spoke as they waited for the electronic gate to slide open.

"You were supposed to waylay him, Ten …. Not _lay_ him every chance you get."

* * *

**Blade AN :: **This was a hard chapter for Noki and I to write. I honestly thought last chapter was a bit of pain… I think this one was worse. Although, I have to say her portrayal of Neji in the beginning was perfect; I changed nothing there! And she worries so much about how she writes her male characters. -waggles finger- Silly girl. I'm having a lot of fun helping her write Ten this way; so, I'm glad to hear you love it too.

We're in the process of doing chapter four; no telling when that will be done, but, keep an eye out.

—**Blade**

**Noki-chan a/n: **So. Yeah. The lead-up chapters are usually a pain in the ass … but we have lots of fun planned, so bear with us, yeah? Thank you for every single review/fav/alert – you guys are awesome! As Blade notes above … meh, my male characters come out even girlier than the girls, imo … But that's why we're lucky Blade's here to make sure that doesn't happen – she's totally incredible at keeping characters IC! Girl-power Tenny is new for me, I must admit, but I'm enjoying it immensely and I hope you'll all continue to do so too! Please don't forget to review – it makes us very happy ^^

Hearts yo,

**~Noki-chan**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

**Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.**

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

The tile was cold even under the barrier of her socks. A grumble escaped the passage of her lips, louder than she intended as she bent over her lap and tied her right shoe. Around her clanks of metal against metal echoed and mingled with the constant chatter of half-naked women in the process of undressing and dressing.

Jerseys were slung into lockers, cleats removed in favor of shoes, and towels were tossed into laundry carts along the walls. Sometimes squeals shouted above other sounds, conversations; laughter chimed between various rows of steel-mesh storage.

Tenten exhaled a sigh as she sat up and reached for the shirt on the lacquered bench next to her. Careful not to upset her recently bound buns, she slid it over her head; blue, shimmering sequins laced into the thin-strapped top danced as it dropped over her breasts and fell to a stop at her hips. She reached into her locker, swiped deodorant under her arms and put it back; the cage door rattled shut, lock clicking into place.

Chocolate browns glanced around as she stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder, eyeing for pink and blonde. Eventually, she let it go, and began to head for the showers.

The echo of water hitting tile made a hum of unified endless white noise.

"Sakura? Temari?" she shouted into the room that housed twenty or so shower stalls.

"Yeah?" two voices returned.

"I'll wait for you outside," she called back.

"Alright, sounds good," Sakura hollered.

When Temari said nothing, signifying to her that Sakura's lone response was enough, she turned and walked to the exit. The noise behind her faded as she entered the hall; replacing it were the familiar sounds of kids opening and closing lockers, chatting and leaving class for the day.

She let her eyes travel from one person to the next, her arms crossed over her chest.

Monday was a new day; one that was nearly over for her. Kids were already leaving, evacuating the halls to their cars and the busses; many lingered, talking to others. In the meantime, Tenten sunk into her own thoughts, as she generally did when faced with solitary boredom.

She shouldn't have gotten in the damn car. She knew better. She'd foolishly let herself think it would be better to just let him drive the five some odd minutes it took to get back to her house instead of walking barefoot. Barefoot would have been better. Instead, her mouth had gotten the better of her, her ire, and she'd dug a hole too deep to crawl out of—nearly; had it not been for Konohamaru she would have been buried in Hyuuga shit.

Imagine having sex with the same asshole who did nothing but rub shoulders with high dollar shit slingers. There was no way she could think he was unable to stop the violence; the asshole had too much of a presence, a fucking ego, to be incapable of it. It would take one look at that Kiba dick or shark mouth and they'd stop. Hell, one glance at the blonde pig would put an end to it. He either didn't give a damn or he really did condone it.

She could tolerate him coming from money, even him having the silver-spoon-in-the-mouth complex. It was just a part of how he grew up, how many people in the same money-ridden circle grew up; they couldn't help it. The good ones grew out of it.

But the lack of care he had for the unfortunates who just happened to walk along the same path as his juvenile group of snobs... she couldn't tolerate that.

When she'd initially come to the high school she'd been approached by Ino and Karin alike; coming from money gave her the entitlement of being invited into the 'elite' group. It was then she'd noticed Neji; she'd recognized that strength he contained; it was a determination that couldn't be labelled. He, like her, wouldn't bend carelessly in the wind like a wildflower.

Chocolate browns had been wide at first, appalled, as she watched Ino burst into a verbal slew of bullshit she hadn't expected from the petite woman, and all because a student had bumped into her while she was attempting to befriend Tenten; this intensified as Neji did nothing... as no one did _anything_.

Coming from a low-income neighbourhood, from a 'hood rat' school, she was used to much worse. Defending herself from physical racial-inspired violence became a part of her daily routine in a school where students came from a melting pot of diversity, where they clung to their pre-programmed Neanderthal groups based on skin-tone and cultural background. Establishing herself was normal; it had been there. She hadn't wholly expected the same thing at a school like Konoha High. She'd naively assumed this would be a fresh start for her; she had earnestly thought her days of slamming heads into lockers and incurring broken noses from an unexpected punch during a sporadic encounter were long gone. She had foolishly believed people would be different here.

Thankfully, there were good people.

Temari and Sakura had attached themselves the first year in fifth period gym; they'd been nearly inseparable since. There were others, of course. But no one was better to her than those two; no one would be.

They didn't like the plastic group any more than she did, but they were nowhere near as agitated by them as Tenten was. It's not like there were many who would stand up to them—to Neji.

Fucking Neji.

She blew air upward, upsetting her bangs.

Where were Sakura and Temari? It had been what, twenty minutes already? They didn't usually take this long...

"Hey, you going in?" She asked a late teammate passing by her towards the locker-room door.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"When you go to the showers, if Sakura and Temari are still in there, or, if you see them, tell them for me I'll be at my locker unloading to go home?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Thanks." She didn't spare the teammate another glance as she made her way down the hall.

There weren't as many students now; however, she still found herself rubbing a shoulder or two as she passed. Mostly that was due to the fact that people were caught up in conversation and didn't much pay attention as they went about their business. She gave another sigh once she reached her locker; her hand poised over the Masterlock dial as she heard a familiar elevated voice.

"I thought I told you not to be here when I'm getting my stuff?"

"I-I'm sorry, Ino. I couldn't help it today. My mom made an appointment—"

"Do I look like I give a shit about your life? What about me, huh? Don't you think I have important things to do?"

"Yes, but—"

"You think I should wait for you to be done first?"

"I..."

"The whole point of you _not_ being here, idiot, is so I don't _have_ to breathe the same air. Now—"

"Well, if it isn't the blonde, bimbo queen of the pack pushing people around again. Why am I not surprised?" Chocolate hues narrowed; her sneakered foot tapped; arms crossed over her chest as she found herself five or so feet from Ino and what appeared to be a freshman. Some brown-haired girl, who, surprisingly, didn't look very nerdy at all.

Cold, blue eyes swivelled to her. Ino's lip curled in a grimace of dissatisfaction. "And look, the village is missing its idiot _again_."

"Nice," Tenten complimented sarcastically. "Did you get that one out of a textbook? Or maybe some sad representation of a historical film with Brad Pitt in it?"

She didn't notice until she heard a snort; Suigetsu, Kiba... and Neji (naturally) were some few feet away, half watching the scene in amusement and half in feigned indifference. Well, Kiba and Suigetsu looked wholly entertained; Neji, on the other hand, was busy with his locker. He hadn't even spared a glance as far as the brunette could tell.

Asshole.

"Is there a reason you're bothering me?" Ino snapped finally, apparently having come up with nothing better.

"Actually, yes. While it might seem perfectly ok to you to be an absolute bitch to anyone in your way, I don't." Tenten glanced over at the girl. "You alright?"

"... Yeah," she murmured, face red and directed at the floor from where she leaned back into the lockers.

Tenten turned back to Ino. "OK, so, here's the thing, unless you want your bloody nose smeared all over those lockers, you can back off and wait for her to finish first.

"Sound good?"

"Like hell you would—" She stopped as Tenten took a step towards her.

"I wouldn't what?"

"I'll have you suspended! My father—!"

"Do you think I give a damn about that? Ten days of free time." She shrugged. "I might have some work to catch up on, but, no big deal."

Ino scowled. "You won't think so once I put your ass in juvy!"

"Scary." She flashed a smile. "And nothing new for me, as you and your crew so nicely like to remind me. I'm the hood rat, right? Gutter trash?

"Here's a new flash for you, Ino. Yes, I might get a few days in juvy, a few days off from school, a few lectures from the principal and maybe some more. But, you know what? I can handle all that; been there, done that. I wonder though...

"Can you handle wearing nerd tape on your nose for a month while it heals?"

The blonde was positively glowering at her now.

"Well?"

"Fuck you, Tenten," she bit off before turning, hair twisting at the action, and walked off, rejoining her group some fifteen feet away. All but Neji looked highly amused; she could tell the story was being retold as Karin walked up, appearing curious and wide-eyed.

Tenten sighed and returned her gaze to the girl. "Well, I'd finish up whatever you need to and scat. She won't bother you while I'm in the hall. But I can't guarantee I'll be at my locker long. Alright?"

"Thanks," the freshmen whispered, looking up at her.

Tenten smiled. "No problem. Stay out of trouble." She turned on her heel and went back to her own locker. Vaguely, she gazed at the group, dark eyes travelling to the Hyuuga unconsciously as she twisted the dial to the appropriate digits without problem.

Fucking dickheads. At least it had just been Ino this time; the blonde hated physical confrontation. Karin, on the other hand, she didn't mind fighting a little dirty if she had to. Tenten could handle her, but, despite what she'd said to Ino, she really didn't want to be suspended or—in the worst scenario—find herself in a cell for a couple of days.

She shoved and moved things around in her locker a little more aggressively than normal, choosing to focus on her task and ignore the pricks twenty to thirty feet away from her congregating like a herd of clucking hens.

As a result of said clucking, thoughts plagued her mind and reinforced themselves like a record on skip saying the same line of a song over and over again. Her jaw couldn't help but tighten as they mixed with those previous ones of herself and her lack of control with Neji. She shoved stuff into her bag in a huff, removing books and replacing them with things she needed to take home; some books remained because they were required for homework. All the while... she never noted the lingering, amused, presence behind her. In fact, she didn't so much as pause as said presence placed a hand on the locker beside her own and leaned in closer, barely brushing her ass with their hips. She didn't notice the pale lips, hooked with snake-bite loop earnings, sweeping in close to her ear.

"There's nothing hotter than a girl threatening to beat some prissy bitch bloody..."

The hot breath on her ear made her still, book in her hand and halfway into her locker.

"Mmmm..." the masculine voice hummed, purred, as he bumped his hips into her ass. "There's a closet around the corner and I promise not to disappoint.

"Whadya say, _Kitten_?"

Her eyes widened as the words, the voice, embedded themselves. She turned around quickly and a smile broke out on her lips. "Sasuke!" She reached to embrace him, surprise and joy emblazoning her features at the same time. But, as she did, mouth open in shock, he swooped in and wrapped her in his embrace. Words stilled on her lips as he captured them, tongue automatically entering in the same action and caressing across hers.

The book thumped to the floor.

She inhaled sharply through her nose, shocked... and yet not?

Thoughts left her as they usually did when Sasuke took this level of intimacy with her. How had one summer and a school year apart since _that_ not eased her reaction? She didn't quite kiss him back, but, she wouldn't say she didn't; she didn't stop him either, but that could be blamed on the shock to her system that always seemed to occur with him... among other things.

It was nice, but, it wasn't Neji.

The thought was like cold water; ice and unforgiving.

* * *

"Whoa... check the hottie macking on Tenten..."

"Yeah, what the hell...? Who _is_ he?"

"Are you kidding me? He looks like a girl!"

"Nice jacket though..."

Neji felt himself freeze as the conversation from the foursome surfaced around him; they'd been talking before, but the moment _macking_ and _Tenten_ came into the same sentence he'd become keenly aware of what was being said.

"_Maaaan_, are you _seeing_ this?" Karin said.

"Uh, yeah," replied Ino.

Opaque hues pulled away from the contents of his locker, involuntarily turning towards the scene down the hall some ways. As he did so, eyes locking on the duo ahead of him, his body seized up; every muscle tensed and coiled without his permission.

Her arms were wrapped about his neck loosely; his arms were around her waist. Every inch of the brunette's front was glued to the darker haired male's. Her back was very nearly falling against the lockers behind her; were it not for his hands, now on her _ass_, she would be.

Was she kissing him _back_?

The fury of emotions that hit him, soundly and without consent, were new and unexpected. Something burned through his chest, raging his heart to an unhealthy pace. His hands coiled to fists at his sides; his jaw flexed, causing his teeth to grind painfully; and when he finally ripped his gaze away from the image before him and took hold of his locker to close it, it slammed into place.

Behind him, Ino, Karin, Kiba and Suigetsu jumped.

He shut his eyes. "I'm out," he snapped, stalking away.

Like he gave a damn; bitch could fuck whomever she wanted in the hall.

* * *

_Cough_.

Tenten broke away from the kiss immediately, heady from more than the physical contact. At the same time, both chocolate-browns and abyssal-black hues turned towards the sound.

"Temari, Sakura," Tenten said, voice surprisingly level, even with Sasuke's hands lingering on her hips.

"Well now," the blonde said with a smirk on her face, arms coming to cross over her chest in the same moment, "I do think this is the first time in the last three plus years that I've known you... that I've ever seen you kiss anyone in the school.

"Although, unless he's from ours... and I don't think he is... I don't think it really counts." At this, her bold eyes glanced over at Sasuke.

Tenten carefully removed herself from his grip, smiling sheepishly.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked, looking more curious and less like an interrogator.

"Sasuke," he replied, sticking his hands in his black, leather bomber jacket pockets. "Ten and I go back."

"Uh-huh..." Temari replied.

"Ex-boyfriend?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke smirked and looked over at Tenten. "... Not quite."

The brunette frowned and then proceeded to roll her eyes. "Alright, well, I've been through a whirlwind of surprises for the last ten minutes. So, I think we'll save introductions and explanations for another day. I'm heading out." She gathered her things quickly, shut her locker, and then took hold of Sasuke's arm. As she passed by her best friends, dragging the idiot Uchiha with her, she continued. "I'll call you guys tonight."

"You better," Sakura hollered to her back as she continued on her way.

Temari chuckled.

Sakura jerked her gaze towards her. "What?"

"Did you _see_ Neji before we stopped them?"

"...No."

"Yeah, well, you should have." She grinned, leaving it at that.

* * *

It had taken one phone call to Konohamaru to settle her curious disappearance. Thankfully, because she and her cousin were always close, more like friends than 'siblings' at times, he had no problem with her 'abandonment' and had caught a ride home with a friend two grade levels above him. He also said he would tell Asuma she'd gotten caught up with a friend.

Although in fairness, _friend_ hardly scratched the surface when it came to Sasuke Uchiha, whom she was presently staring at intently across a small, circular steel table just outside her favourite coffee shop. If it weren't in consideration for him to occasionally light up a smoke when he felt like it (which wasn't often) she'd be inside; but the air was cool, and she didn't mind.

"So why are you here again?"

He raised a brow at her in the same moment he lifted the paper coffee cup to his mouth and took a sip. He smacked his lips, clearing away the liquid residue with his tongue. He offered her a casual, typical Sasuke smirk that generally made most girls wilt under pressure.

Tenten had known him long enough that it really didn't do much _for her_.

"I wanted to see you, and maybe pick up where we left off."

She snorted. "Right, because we both know that won't happen. You screw, nut and bolt."

"Ah, but, we've known each other too long to ever _bolt_."

"True," she agreed passively. "But, from the moment we crossed that line and left it one summer ago, we both knew we weren't going back. It's not our style, Sasuke.

"That's why I chose you; I didn't _want_ a relationship to ruin my first time." As she said this, cup in hand, her pointer finger lifted off the styrofoam and jutted in his direction, emphasizing her point.

"There's nothing saying we can't have a _little_ fun..." he edged with that ever-present smirk.

She rolled her eyes. "Bullshit. You never break the rules and neither do I. Remember? I learned those from you.

"And, for the record, while kissing me as a greeting is fun and comical on your end, it doesn't bode well for mine. I don't sleep with guys at my school."

He shrugged.

"Even if they're not _from_ my school. You're lucky almost everyone was gone when you did it; the gossip is going to be minimal, at best."

"Look at it this way; it just adds to your allure and confirms you're not a lesbo. You can thank me later." He took another sip, glancing through the window-pane on her right.

"You can make it up to me by cutting the crap and telling me why you're really here." She glanced where he was looking; her laughter remained in her own head as she caught sight of a blonde bending over, showing a lofty amount of cleavage as she served drinks to two students.

"Mom has some business in town, so I came with," he admitted, still watching the girl.

"School?"

"I graduated early."

She opened her mouth to call him on the second round of bullshit, but quickly realized this information was likely true. A lot of things could be said about Sasuke; however, being a complete lack-wit school-hater was not one of them. He loved to read and he loved to learn, despite what his Billy Idol mixed with Spike (from Buffy) sort of appearance did for anyone who saw him. He was easily two or three grades above the pack and had been since he graduated elementary school. He didn't boast about it, and, it was easily more than half the reason his mother let him get away with bloody murder; I.E., the sleeping around (safely), the booze, the occasional smoke, and the late night outings. He always made it to school and rarely ever got into any trouble that kept him out of it.

She supposed it was his _only_ saving grace—other than his looks.

"Nice."

He nodded.

"And Itachi?"

"He stayed behind and decided to take a semester off from the university."

She chuckled. "He probably wanted the house to himself for a while. He always did prefer the peace and quiet."

This time she got a little smile out of him. "True." Finally, his gaze turned back to her; the blonde had long gone out of sight. "So... how are things with you and the pompous jackass you talked about the last time we spoke? Did he change schools like you hoped?"

"Hell no," she muttered, frowning. "He's become even more of a pain since Konohamaru decided to start skirt-chasing his cousin."

"Oh?"

"Yeah..." she nearly grumbled the response out like a five-year-old. "I've been having to..._waylay_ him to stop him from interfering, since, ya know, the Sarutobis aren't good enough for his family."

At this Sasuke's brows rose and his attention became keenly more rapt.

She gave him a look. "Don't give me those eyes, bastard."

"I'll stop when you tell me what's been going on. "

Sasuke never uttered more than a few words in a sentence at once. He didn't speak unless he felt the need to, or, if it worked in his favor—namely with women. Most of his conversations with anyone consisted of single-word responses. With her, and a select few others, it was always more; however, even then it wasn't much. She'd known him long enough to know what he was saying, asking, when he wasn't asking at all, with just a few terms strung together.

What he was really saying was: We've known each other too long for you to beat around the bush. Just spit it out. You think I'm going to judge you, idiot?

She couldn't be honest with Sakura and Temari about this, not yet. They didn't understand the part of her that Sasuke knew because he'd grown up with her in the same section eight apartment complex. They didn't understand what pops in the night really meant, that they were anything but cars backfiring; they didn't know what it meant to walk by a group of kids passing baggies and wads of cash while eyeballing you and deciding if you were a threat; they didn't know what it meant to come home to screams, shouts, bruises and tears... they didn't... and she never wanted them to.

Sasuke however... he could look at her, see past the color of her eyes and tell there was something going on with her. Even through all the years they'd been apart, her the (now) uptown girl and him the street kid (still), he still knew; for that and other reasons she would always be indebted to him, she couldn't _not_ tell him the truth.

He, above all people, would understand.

She sighed; it was a sound, long and emphasized, that would indicate to him she would talk honestly and drop the pre-programmed BSing that was a part of their youth. "All the kids in this area go to the same schools, they always have; most of them are rich and the few that aren't are lucky or have good parents who have enough in gas to drive them. In his case, it's the money which gets Konohamaru and I the location to do so. It's safe to say his little romance started in elementary school.

"Then he liked to torment her. He didn't know any better. Recently, with the enlightenment middle school and now high school have brought him, he's realized how he feels. So, he decided to act on it."

Sasuke didn't say anything, but his eyes told her the gears in his head were working as she spoke.

"Anyway, I don't know the details... but, the Sarutobis and the Hyuugas have always been at odds; they just don't like each other. And while my family doesn't give much of a damn if my kid brother likes her or eventually wants to cart her to the altar, the Hyuugas would probably rather have salt poured into open wounds.

"A few days ago he was trying to strike up a conversation with her at her locker, which isn't far from mine. She wasn't saying much and I can only assume he was getting to the part where he wanted to apologize. But..." she went on rather lazily, "that jerk Neji showed up and decided to put himself between Hanabi and my cousin. He told him to get lost and I, being the idiot big sister I love to be, cock-blocked him and made him look like a kid."

Sasuke's smirk was suddenly back, curling wider than before and hinting at restrained laughter.

She continued, half-heartedly ignoring him. "He was angry at me, of course. So, I agreed to help him using the same dogged methods I learned from you."

He raised a brow, but nothing else.

"It worked, of course—"

"Of course," he interrupted her, sounding smug.

"_And_ he was invited to a party last Friday night with her. It became my job to keep Neji away from them. Everything was going fine for an hour or so after the party started; I really didn't think he was going to show. But..." she went on with a frowning twitch of her lips, looking distasteful, "he did. Him and that idiot Kiba showed up and started right in the direction his cousin and mine had gone moments before.

"So I had to think of something." She picked up her drink, staring at it a moment before taking a sip; she smacked her lips. "I started a game of seven minutes in heaven."

It wasn't very often Sasuke laughed; the action was almost comical when he chose to allow himself to. This time was different, she supposed; perhaps because it was at her expense and the story hadn't even gotten to the gritty parts yet.

Thankfully, it was just a chuckle. "Seven minutes in heaven?"

She really frowned then. "Childish, yes. Effective as a distraction in a room full of hormonally imbalanced, _drunk_ teenagers? Very much so.

"So," she continued again, "I managed to dare him into playing. He signed his name on a slip of paper and dropped it in the hat. What I didn't plan on was Temari putting my name in the hat as well; which, honestly, was no big deal... until both of our names got called." Before he could say anything, or even laugh, she went on quickly. "We were both pissed and stuck in that damn closet. Things got out of control and before I really knew what was going on my legs were a vice around his waist and there was a distinct bite mark of a bruise on his neck..." She hesitated on the next part, but knew she couldn't avoid telling him. She certainly wasn't going to act shameful while doing so. "Somehow, in the heat of it all... we both got off."

There was a stillness that suddenly came over Sasuke; he blinked at her—once. "...Clothes on?"

"...Yeah."

And then it came, the emotional reaction rarely ever seen. His eyes shut, his mouth opened, his face brightened and he bowled over in a shameless litany of boisterous, barked laughter.

She frowned, but did nothing else as she tried not to glare at him.

"You dry-humped him in a closet and got off? On each other?" he barked, still laughing and not caring who heard him. "Playing a kid game at a high school party?"

"Yes," she bit off.

"Was it good, at least?"

"... For what it was," she began, resisting the urge to fidget, "...yes."

She wasn't sure, because it would have been so _not_ Sasuke, but she thought she heard a snort. With no real way to prove it, she went on with her story. "Then Saturday—"

"There's more?"

She ignored him. "My car broke down, my phone died, and it was a good walk home in the middle of the night. Coincidentally enough, guess who drove up?" Not waiting for a reply, she continued, "It was raining, so I gave in and got in; I figured it was better to take the five-minute ride home from him and deal with it, than to walk for a few hours and worry my family."

"I take it, it didn't go well?"

"Again, my anger got the better of me; he accused me of having no effect on him. I took advantage of the situation and somewhere between point A and the end of my driveway I found myself across his lap, making out with my hands firmly around his dick, and with his hands halfway down my pants."

His lips were visibly twitching into something she couldn't quite call a smirk or a smile. "I have just one question."

"That is?"

"Why haven't you just screwed him and gotten it out of your system? Angry sex isn't bad given the right people."

This time she did grumble. She took a sip from her cup and grimaced; it was too cold for her to drink now. It was set down and pushed aside with nimble, lazy fingers. "Because, I don't do that with guys at my school; you know why.

"I'm not some whore who sleeps with one guy after another in rapid succession; I'm not going to have people thinking I am just because I'm not dating them when I sleep with them.

"You said it best once: Don't shit where you sleep."

He sighed and ran a hand through his erratic, black strands, turning his head in the direction of the shop window as he did so. "I guess it just depends... do you think he's the type to kiss and tell? From what you've told me about him over the years, he doesn't sound it."

"I really can't believe you're suggesting I fuck him."

"Why?"

"The rules—"

"Rules are made to be broken—sometimes," he emphasized, giving her a pointed look. "What I'm trying to say is, if this gets much worse it might be bad for you to try and avoid it.

"Did you consider..." he paused, hesitating; which was odd for someone like Sasuke in her opinion. "Dating him?"

Her eyes narrowed on him immediately; her glare was genuine. "Forget the fact that he has all the qualities I hate... you know how I feel about that..."

Sasuke raised his hands in mock surrender. "Fine... Change of topic then. When's your next party?"

And just like that, her bad mood was gone. "Probably Friday or Saturday, like usual. It just depends on who's hosting and if it works out. This is high school we're talking about, after all."

He nodded in agreement. "Let me know. I'll tag along."

She laughed. "I'm sure you'll be joined at my hip every chance you get."

"True."

* * *

Her phone was nowhere to be found.

Tenten glanced around her bedroom; frowning. Her room bore all the signs of a thorough search; drawers opened and clothes spilling out, furniture moved just slightly out of place in case it had fallen behind something. But, if she was being honest, even as she'd embarked on the millionth search of her bedroom, she'd known that the phone wasn't there.

She distinctly recalled swearing at the device's battery power that night a week ago … when Neji had given her a ride home.

It hadn't been needed all of Sunday – she'd automatically used the house line to call Temari and Sakura - thus Monday had dawned without her noticing its absence. Then Sasuke had shown up, further throwing her thoughts into disarray, and it hadn't been until yesterday that she'd realized her phone was missing.

After passing a peaceful afternoon catching up with Sasuke on Monday she'd promised to give him a call later to set up their plans for the weekend; but, if she knew Mikoto Uchiha then he was being kept busy helping his mother so it wasn't until days later that she'd decided to make good on her promise. She'd reached for her phone, the only place Sasuke's number was stored, only to realize that it wasn't where it was supposed to be. She'd proceeded to turn the house upside down, silently thankful that she had this to occupy herself with as she really wasn't looking forward to the official introduction of Sasuke to Sakura and Temari, or the explanations they were sure to demand. So far she'd done an admirable job of avoiding their questions but it really was only a matter of time before she'd be forced to answer. But, her search yielded no results; the phone definitely wasn't in the house nor was it in her car. Finally, as she'd lain in bed the night before, and with a resigned sigh, she'd decided that the only place left to search was the Hyuuga's car. Never one for backing down from unpleasantness, she'd decided to corner him the next day to ask for it back.

Friday, today, had dawned and, as it turned out, her trepidation had been needless because Neji had been absolutely nowhere to be found.

If she hadn't known better she would almost have said that he was avoiding her he'd been so conspicuous in his absence.

_The one day I actually _want _to see the prissy little bitch he's nowhere in sight._

She'd returned home, and as a last-ditch attempt, she'd proceeded to turn her bedroom inside out again; hoping against hope that the phone would miraculously turn up and she would be spared the ordeal of heading over to his house to demand her property back.

Fingers tangled exasperatedly into chocolate brown hair, upsetting her already precariously fastened buns. A despondent breath blew her bangs upward as Tenten finally faced the inevitable fact that she would have to go over there and actually see the bastard.

"Argh!"

The half-screamed, half-groaned sound of frustration rang through the room but Tenten was already out the door, car keys firmly in hand.

There was no time like the present, right? Especially for getting unpleasant encounters with idiot, self-righteous Hyuugas out of the way … she was already halfway down the street before it occurred to her to wonder _why _Neji seemed to be avoiding her.

* * *

The day seemed to suit his mood; dark and threatening with clouds skidding low across the sky, keeping just ahead of the wind. A scowl pulled his features into an expression of constant discontent and Neji had to force his face into a semblance of calm and disinterest at disturbingly regular intervals. Sometimes there were definite advantages to being a Hyuuga. For all the blistering speeches Hiashi made about Neji's expensive pets and ostentatious cars … for all the disapproval directed at him from behind his uncle's blank gaze … Neji would never trade this for anything. He'd never sought the calm of the stables quite as ardently as he did today; it seemed that wherever Tenten was concerned he was doomed to obsess over every tiny little aspect. He was incredibly sick and tired of replaying the little scene he'd witnessed in the hallway in his mind, as he'd been wont to do the last few days. No matter how often he told himself to get it together; that there was no _reason_ to constantly revisit those images, he didn't _care _what she did or who she did it with, he seemed completely unable to stop himself from thinking about her. In his darker moments he couldn't help but feel that she was water, he was the rock; inevitably he would give way, cracks would appear, and tiny spiderlines would form until it finally crumbled. It had been a long week; eventually, in desperation and not quite admitting it to himself, Neji had taken to avoiding Tenten like the plague in the hope that it would be enough to put a stop to the thoughts that made him want to put his fist through the nearest wall.

Inside the stable block dim daylight gave way to bright fluorescents and Neji could feel the calm he'd been fighting for so desperately steal over his soul; here there was no one watching, no one to pretend for. In here he could let go, put it all away; his life and the people in it, the demands they made. A horse didn't care about grade-point averages or which college would provide the best education to groom him for taking over the family businesses. Horses didn't expect a lone teenage boy to—somehow—miraculously, exert control over his cousins' lives and inclinations. Horses weren't interested in using him … wouldn't moan his name as if he was all she could see, only to turn around and bestow the same favour elsewhere …

Neji shook his head, blinking as if to wash the memory from his eyes. Hadn't he resolved _not_ to think of Tenten and her deplorable behaviour anymore? What was it to him if she practically had sex with someone in a school hallway? It didn't matter, he didn't care … he _wasn't _jealous; wasn't wondering if someone who looked that way could possibly treat her with anything even remotely resembling respect. It was stereotypical, he knew that, but he'd been raised to instinctively mistrust tattooed, pierced bikers - Hiashi would have a fit if Hinata or Hanabi showed up with someone like that to Sunday dinner. The image of Tenten escorting the strange boy into the Sarutobi home for a family meal was suddenly clear in his mind and sharp acid burned in his throat … The bales of hay stacked in the overhead loft was suddenly in sharp focus; the turning of his stomach seemed to have woken him from his dark wonderings, the growling beast inside sleeping once more - as if it, too, couldn't face the prospect that Tenten might actually _prefer_ someone like _that_. Memories of the barely hidden admiration in Karin and Ino's voices weren't helping his mood either … he'd never pegged Tenten as the type to fall all over herself for a pretty face.

With grim determination Neji strode purposefully towards the hanging lines of tack on the far wall. Horses snorted softly, a hoof stamping straw-covered concrete here and there as he passed. The private Hyuuga stables weren't large – they housed no more than five horses. But the horses were of impeccable breeding – thoroughbreds all. Soon after Hiashi had taken Neji for his first riding lesson at five years of age, it had become apparent that his nephew not only had a talent with horses, but also the inclination to ride and train.

The stables had been built and the first of the five horses – an older gelding – had been procured. It was only years later – when Neji was in his teens – that his uncle had allowed him to buy more. The first one – at the time a year old and somewhat troubled mare – had been picked up at auction for a ridiculous price. Of course, the first time Neji had tried to ride her and she'd gone berserk he'd realized _why _the horse had been so cheap; however, in hindsight, it was the best thing that could've happened. Else he would never have known the pure joy of slowly, patiently, breaking through all the walls an abused animal put up, until he gained their trust. Nothing could compare to that first time, the thrilling, nervous excitement – the _pride_ in their accomplishment - he'd held tightly inside, when she'd allowed him into the saddle.

Lead-line firmly in hand, the oiled leather sliding softly, soothingly, over his palm, Neji turned and surveyed the line of peacefully waiting horses. It was no real contest of course, the mood he was in today would allow for no other horse but Zeus. He'd only had the young stallion for a few months, the second of his 'wingless birds' as his uncle had put it; but, so far the horse was proving intractable. None of the tricks that had worked previously had any effect on the yearling whatsoever. Whenever he'd allowed himself to be led into the paddock he would merely stare disdainfully at Neji, bucking almost half-heartedly whenever the Hyuuga boy tried to coax him into line. So far they'd made very little progress but Neji had never backed down from a challenge and today the all-consuming process of leading Zeus on a line, forcing him to do figure eights, would be a welcome distraction.

He spoke softly, carefully, a single stream of comforting nonsense, as he approached Zeus' stall. The chestnut ears pricked forward as deceptively soft brown eyes warily measured Neji's approach. Gracefully delicate legs lifted as the horse danced towards the back of the stall, his teeth bared almost mockingly. Neji ignored the look of reproach, the show of strength, and entered the stall carefully. He did well to stay well away from the horse's hind-quarters – he had no desire to be kicked.

After a brief power struggle, Neji had the lead-line clipped into the bridle, and a firm hand allowed him to lead the horse out into the green paddock set towards the back-end of the property.

* * *

Hanabi opened the gate when Tenten warily punched the button on the intercom system at the entrance to the Hyuuga driveway. For a moment she'd been relieved; the last thing she felt like doing was facing Neji's disdainful gaze, but then she'd told herself to stop being stupid. It's not like she'd _purposely _left her phone in his car, as she was sure some girls would do for any chance to see him again.

The memory of how she'd been relieved her of her phone burned worse than ever; in what way she wasn't sure. She'd never been in denial about the chemistry between them; from the heated moments in the closet to the explosion in his car, she couldn't be. And Tenten prided herself on not being hypocritical. Maybe that was why the memory suddenly seemed to have the serrated edges it had lacked in the direct aftermath: maybe she was attaching more importance to it _because_ of Sasuke's unexpected arrival.

It made no sense, goddamnit. She owed him nothing. _Nothing_. No explanations, no apologies … she was free as a bird and she could do whatever she wanted with whomever she chose and it had absolutely nothing to do with Mr-Holier-Than-Thou-Hyuuga …

The flush of anger stained her cheeks violently red as she parked her car carelessly on the gravelled drive directly in front of the door. She barely heard Hanabi asking after Konohamaru, fishing for details of his whereabouts as she greeted her and dragged her into the house; though a small part of her did note the carefully concealed jealousy as the younger Hyuuga girl tried to pump her for information. In the process, she barely noticed the elegant, opulent surroundings as the freshman guided her through the home and out the patio door. The anger was still eagerly raging with all the violence of an out-of-control fire when she spotted Neji in the distance.

He was in a paddock at the far edge of the property – the place was bigger than she'd ever credited before, though she supposed it made sense – the Hyuuga abode was at the very fringe of their neighbourhood; the estate opened up onto uncultivated, unoccupied land. She stalked across the rolling, green lawn, distractedly wondering why on earth their gardener couldn't do as good a job as the Hyuuga one, and then she was at the white-fenced paddock.

Surprise stopped her from calling out, made the anger drain away sluggishly.

The horse's sides were lathered in sweat though the day wasn't warm; even to her untutored eye she could see at least half of the exertion was due to fright. It was a beautiful creature; that she had to concede as she eyed its gleaming chestnut coat and silky mane and the white stockings on the delicate front legs. It kept shying out of line, yanking at the lead, trying to gain its head, and occasionally baring its teeth at Neji as it pawed at the ground.

It was obvious that Neji was working – and fighting – just as hard as the horse. His black hoodie had been cast over the railings, his hair had been worked loose from his habitual ponytail, and from her vantage point, Tenten could just make out the way his muscles strained and flexed under the thin t-shirt he wore as he fought against the headstrong horse.

For a moment curiosity outweighed the anger and without thought Tenten clambered onto the white fencing of the small paddock, swinging her legs over to the other side. From her perch, she watched in quiet fascination as Neji spoke sternly to the horse; it didn't appear to be paying him much attention if the way it pulled at the lead-line and tossed its mane was anything to go by. Snickering quietly to herself – it had to be good for Neji, to find that everything didn't always go exactly his way – she jumped lithely down onto the ground and strode towards them. Her face contorted into a frown as she remembered the reason for her presence and all the simmering anger behind it.

"Neji!"

The frown deepened, as she noted the wavering hesitance that underlined his name – since when was she _hesitant_ around Neji Hyuuga?

Her thoughts were all-consuming; she noticed the sudden tension in the horse's flanks from far away, more focused on the way Neji whirled around – tight and contained - his hair seemingly darker than she remembered, or no, wait, it's just that he was paler ….

"Tenten! Goddamnit, don't move!"

She froze at the urgency in his voice; she'd never heard Neji sound anything even remotely like panicked–not the way he was sounding right now. Her eyes met Neji's, held; she couldn't seem to focus on anything else. His pearlescent gaze appeared to pick up the colours from the darkening sky above; they were greyer. In the split-second that her attention was focused on Neji and his on her, the horse snorted, yanked its head violently against the restraints and broke free.

The lead-line in Neji's hands slipped through his fingers like water, the well-oiled leather gliding like silk through the slender digits. Tenten's eyes were now fixed on the horse; terror pulsed through her veins with the same violence and suddenness the anger had earlier. Velvet lips were pulled back, baring yellowed teeth in a snarl as the horse charged towards her; every fiber of her being was begging her to run but, as if Neji's earlier command really had frozen her in place, she couldn't.

She couldn't do anything but close her eyes tightly and pray for a miracle even as she prepared for the pain of the inevitable impact.

It never came.

Slowly, hesitantly, Tenten cracked one eye open, half-wondering if she was already dead and if it had happened so quickly she'd never even noticed …

For a moment all she could see was white, further reinforcing the theory that she was already done for; then her eyes focused and she realized she was staring at Neji's t-shirt-covered back. He stood between her and the horse, no more than a foot away, arms up and his legs spread. She could do nothing but watch as his back moved; fibrous muscle tensing under the cotton of his shirt.

She swallowed and could feel nothing but her own heart hammering in her chest, beating relentlessly into the ribcage that surrounded the organ. She could see nothing but Neji and the beast in front of him; nostrils flaring as boisterous sounds escaped the salivating passage of his jowls. She could hear nothing but the haze of his voice, as if her hearing was muffled over by hands on her ears; maybe she was blanking out... fainting...

_No. For fuck's sake, Sarutobi, keep it together!_

She took in a deep breath, and refocused on the scene; anything would do to keep her from falling to the ground; weak knees threatening to betray her.

His voice became clearer as she heard him barking orders, making sounds loudly. She watched in avid fascination as the horse's behaviour tempered. His front legs pranced and evened out, to finally come to a stop as Neji took one slow step after another towards him. She could hear him shushing the animal, speaking so softly... tenderly... that she could barely hear him.

She felt something unexpected tug at her heart as he reached up. Her breath caught, whether out of fear for him, or for the scene unravelling, she wasn't sure. Her breath held as his palms came up and finally touched either side of the animal's face, as he leaned forward—stilled—and pressed his forehead to the horse's.

She felt a warmth wash over her as the animal stilled and hung its head lower to accommodate him; its breathing now soft and relaxed.

The entire moment dragged on; it felt like ages as she stood there watching, unable to look away, as the horse and Neji stood in comfort of one another—as he murmured soft nothings to the beast that had been a hairsbreadth away from trampling her moments ago.

She blinked, yanked from this active reverie, as he pulled away, swept a hand down the horse's snout and took the lead-line in his hand.

Distantly—something she could later easily chalk up to shock (or insanity)—she couldn't help the slight twinges of jealousy—which _was_ insane because it was a fucking horse.

What would it feel like to have all of Neji's intensity directed at her? What would it be like to be on the receiving end of so much caring and love? And it was obvious that Neji loved this horse; it was apparent in the way he spoke to it, the way he stroked comfortingly over its coat.

How long she stayed that way while Neji stood in front of her, firm and unafraid, calming the frightened and volatile animal Tenten couldn't say; however, the trembling had stopped and, to Tenten's utter amazement the horse lowered its head, butting softly against Neji's shoulder; almost playfully, almost as if it was apologizing for its bad behaviour. His hand lifted automatically to allow the horse to nuzzle against his palm, and this time she could hear his shaky laughter clearly as Neji carefully turned, forcing the horse to follow, towards the paddock gate.

"Come on, Zeus. No one's angry at you. No one will hurt you. Yeah, that's good, let's get you back to your stall…"

With soft words of encouragement, firmly keeping hold of the bridle, Neji led the horse away and finally the full impact of what had nearly happened crashed down on Tenten as she wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed up and down; she forced a few deep breaths in and out to calm herself. From the corner of her eye she saw someone running up to the paddock gate, opening it for Neji and closing it after he'd led the horse through. She watched as Neji handed the reins over to the other man before he vaulted back over the fence. The humming receded, replaced by sudden tension, and she watched warily as Neji jogged over to her. He stopped, slowing the last few feet. She didn't jump or move to push him away as his hands came to rest on her upper arms.

"Of all the fucking _moronic_ things you've done this one deserves a prize, Sarutobi," he muttered, almost under his breath; and yet... the harsh words were belied by the gentle way his thumbs traced across her biceps. It was the same deft, soothing touch he'd used to calm the horse. Even the grip of his hands, tense on her, didn't bother her in light of his caress.

Thoughts were cobwebs.

"Are you alright?"

Tenten stared uncomprehendingly into his translucent orbs, half wanting to yank out of his reach, half touched that he would even bother checking her over for injuries. She didn't move as his gentle digits traced over her, eyes following in the search.

"I'm okay, really, I'm fine." The words were muttered; she tried not to sound as shaken as she was, trembling internally and recovering from her near brush with death. Since when was Tenten Sarutobi afraid of a little danger? But the truth was, despite previous fights, despite her childhood, this was the closest Tenten had ever come to _real_ death; and the entire incident had scared her far more than she liked to admit—especially to Neji.

His mouth was set in a grim line, but Neji seemed satisfied by her words and his own check-up. Without asking, he wound an arm around her waist and carefully helped her towards the gate, where Tenten leaned against the wood as she waited for him to open the latch. Once through she started to feel somewhat better, as if being removed from the scene released her of the last vestiges of shock. Still, she allowed him to lead her to the stone-tiled patio.

The sight of a chair had never been so welcoming, and Tenten sighed as she sank gratefully back into the cushioning hold of the seat and let out a little laugh. Now that she was back on solid, familiar human ground, it all seemed rather funny. Neji frowned up at her, sitting back on his heels in front of her, and that only made her want to giggle even more.

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny … in retrospect," she laughed, unaware of how big and dark her eyes appeared, in contrast with her still too-pale skin.

"You could've been seriously injured; there's nothing funny about it," he muttered back shoving a glass of milky-colored water into Tenten's hand.

In surprise, she stared at Hanabi who now hovered slightly behind her cousin, wringing her hands together as she watched Tenten anxiously.

"I'm sorry!" the girl whisper-wailed, "I thought she knew her way around horses - who doesn't? I didn't think she'd go in there like that and frighten Zeus—″

"Hanabi, that's enough. It's not your fault," Neji interrupted calmly, not taking his eyes off Tenten as she swallowed sip after sip of sugar-water with a grimace. Half of it was drained before he would allow her to put it down on the glass-covered side table, and by then Hanabi had beaten a hasty retreat with more mumbled apologies following in her wake.

Tenten felt better; physically she was no longer in shock, as far as she could tell, and suddenly she was all too aware of Neji's close proximity. She resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably in her seat, and suppressed the urge to push him back a bit.

"I'm fine, really. You can stop hovering." The muttered words were somewhat resentful and Tenten cringed mentally; she probably owed him some kind of thank you instead of surly protestations.

She took a deep breath and met his pearlescent gaze unflinchingly, "Thank you."

The slight smirk told her far too eloquently that Neji was quite aware just how hard it had been to utter those two inconsequential words but she stubbornly met his gaze and refused to back down. He really was far too close and this time Tenten obeyed her instincts; she stood, forcing Neji to straighten as well and step back to allow her room to move.

"I'm sorry for … the whole incident. I really only came to get my cellphone back," she explained, her gaze fixed somewhere above his left shoulder. She sensed his confusion at her words and cursed his lack of instant comprehension. She had _so _not wanted to mention their previous … interaction. Reflexively, her jaw tightened, Sasuke's laughter ringing in the back of her mind.

_Fucking obtuse Hyuuga bastard._

"It should be in your car," she elaborated in a clipped tone, noting the rise of awareness in his eyes and the sudden reluctance to really meet her gaze; his muscles tensed and he stepped back.

"If you think so you're welcome to check," he allowed coolly, already turning away and pulling his keys from his pocket.

Silently Tenten forced her legs to move after him. What had brought the suddenly arctic attitude on?

The walk seemed interminable as they made their way around the house towards the separate building that housed the cars, and Tenten was so caught up in trying to establish what she'd done wrong now, that she couldn't even be bothered to sneer at the koi-pond and the ornamental wrought-iron gazebo they passed. By the time they reached the garage she was the proud new owner of a pounding headache and she cursed inwardly; it really wasn't shaping up to be her day.

Her eyes fixed firmly on Neji's tense back just in front of her and, like in cartoons, it was as if a light-bulb went off in her head. She suddenly recalled something Temari had said to her at lunch a day or two ago; she hadn't really been paying attention then, but right now—with all the clarity of said cartoon light-bulb going off—she replayed the words in her mind; the joking voice of her friend as Temari told her of the _look_ on the usually stoic Hyuuga's face when he'd caught sight of her and Sasuke in the hall. She could only assume the mention of her lost phone, of what they'd done together in his car, reminded him of other things she'd done with a certain someone else.

Her steps slowed somewhat; only a fraction of a second passed before she followed Neji into the shadowed garage. The lights clicked, on throwing everything into sharp relief, as she glared at the back of Neji's head.

_So that's why …_

She was suddenly absolutely _furious_ at him. How dared he think that of her? That she would be the kind of person who would do that – play two guys simultaneously? How dared he lump her in the same slut category as _Ino_… The thought proved to be her undoing; heaven knew there were few things in this world she detested as much as that blonde, bimbo _bitch_.

It never occurred to her that under normal circumstances she wouldn't give a damn.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" she snapped loudly, one hand latching out and landing on his shoulder, spinning him around to face her. "I know that's the kind of girl you're used to but don't you dare lump me with Ino and her kind!"

Indignation brought bright splotches of red color back to her pale cheeks, and she noted—with satisfaction—the minute widening of his eyes; she watched the way incomprehension was replaced with understanding, and, she didn't bother to suppress the pangs of smug satisfaction that the slight dusting of color high across his cheekbones brought. No one could say Neji wasn't a genius, even at figuring out the somewhat vague way in which she might have 'attacked' him. The satisfaction was tinged with … disappointment? hurt? … Tenten refused to dwell on that as she gratefully latched onto the anger. It was so much easier to be angry at Neji all the time; to not think of him in any other way than how she'd always thought of him:

As a selfish, uncaring _bastard_.

"What do you expect me to think?" He was towering over her again, but Tenten refused to be intimidated—refused to let the whip-crack of his voice affect her.

"And what even makes you think that I would care what you do?" he continued.

The harsh tone cut more than it should have … She found herself involuntarily flinching as if slapped. Indeed, what did? Why should she _care_? She was just here to get her phone, not argue her fidelity—for lack of a better term. Again, there was nothing between her the pompous ass; he wasn't her boyfriend, they didn't love each other; Neji wasn't even a one-night stand. At best, he was an almost-something.

Even admitting that to herself left her with mixed emotions.

Still, she felt compelled to say, stiffly, "He's just an old friend."

He opened his mouth; the stubborn set of his jaw and the glinting in his eyes warning her of more harsh words to follow and, without thinking, Tenten raised a hand to stop him. She was just _couldn't_ handle more verbal sparring today.

"Look, you're right, I don't owe you any explanations and I'm sorry I even brought it up. Care, don't care, think what you want. I'm tired, so, for once, can we go our separate ways without feeling the urge to murder each other? I just want my phone, and I'm sure you just want your solitude.

"Ok?"

To her surprise he appeared to let it go; tensed muscles relaxed ever so slightly, if reluctantly; and some of the frost melted from his gaze. Neji turned towards the car. The locks clicked and the alarm beeped as he pressed the button on the remote control and waved a careless hand towards the sleek, silver car.

"Knock yourself out," he muttered—perhaps bitterly?—and leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

Maybe he didn't want to argue any more than she did.

She opened the door and found the phone _was_ in his car; her hand touched it almost the second she reached under the passenger seat, and, with a little crow of triumph Tenten straightened from her crouch. The small rectangle was held aloft in her hand. She closed the car door with a broad grin, almost forgetting all about the Hyuuga leaning against the wall, but she could _feel _the way his eyes travelled over her from head to toe and she quickly sobered again.

It seemed peace – or as much of a peace as there ever was between them – had been restored but it was now underlined by a curious tension; a tension Tenten couldn't define, didn't want to place. Slowly, awkwardly, she stopped in front of Neji, sticking the phone in the back pocket of her jeans.

"Well, I got the phone. So, thanks, and sorry-″

Before she could finish the sentence, which Tenten privately thought was a good thing as she was growing tired of trying to stop herself from explaining her actions, Neji shook his head, opened his mouth and interrupted without a qualm.

"Just promise me you'll never go charging up to strange horses without invitation again."

The smirk was in full view this time and Tenten returned it with one of her own. An understanding? Something mutual? She wasn't sure.

She took a step towards him and her hand came to rest lightly on the lower half of his bicep as she regarded him; she was suddenly very serious, peering from beneath half-lowered lashes as she spoke.

"Seriously, Hyuuga…. _Thanks_."

But as she looked into his eyes and got caught in the endless color of them unexpectedly, now fully aware of her bare hand on his bare arm, as well as his lingering digits—now—on her arm, it was like she was back in the car—the closet—with him all over again. When had he even lifted his hand to touch her? Where was that damn warmth coming from again, blooming along her skin and settling in her lower abdomen?

His eyes scrutinized hers, mirroring her own; the world effectively faded around them, none too concerned with their prized logic, their families' unexplained feud, or the budding romance of their cousins—of which they wholly stood on opposing sides of the fence about. The pounding of their mutual hearts didn't seem to care very much about how much she hated him for his careless disregard of his friends' actions, or his justified dislike of her simply because his uncle didn't like her family—because she annoyed the living hell out of him with her street-grit attitude.

Slowly, softly, unconsciously, one of Neji's hands skimmed a tingling path up her arm; fingers slid into the hair just behind her ear as his palm cradled her cheek, angling her chin up a little. His lips were softer than she remembered them being, or maybe it was just that this encounter lacked the barely leashed violence from before … his mouth moved over hers almost hesitantly in its aching persuasiveness and Tenten opened her lips instinctively, her tongue sliding out to trace across his lower lip.

She couldn't breathe – couldn't think.

Didn't want to.

Nothing mattered.

Hate washed away and melted into something more.

In that moment, she was just a girl, he was just boy, and _they_ were just kissing.

Not because they'd been forced into a closet, not because she was angry he didn't think she could drive him to brink of want, but, just because they wanted to.

All she wanted to do was stay here, like this, _safe_, forever. With Neji's hands in her hair and his tongue tangling sinuously with her own while her body molded against his.

The feeling was unexpected and one that shocked her system anew. No boy should _ever_ make her feel that way.

It took the little voice of self-preservation far longer than it should have to break through the bliss-induced haze but the frantic reminders of exactly why she shouldn't be doing this or feeling this way, especially not for _Neji_,finally surfaced to her conscious mind. So, with some level of restraint, she pulled away and forced herself to be unaware of how her hands lingered on his chest. She turned quickly and headed back into the dreary afternoon just beyond his open garage; she tried her utmost to ignore the confusion swirling in her mind, in her heart and the eyes burning into her back as her hand moved to cover her mouth.

* * *

**Noki-chan a/n: **Wow, really long chapter -wipes sweat from brow- but I hope that you enjoyed it and that it was worth the wait! The whole horse-thing was incredibly difficult and since we're not experts we hope you'll understand if we got anything wrong or if anything seems inaccurate. Thank you, as always, for your incredible feedback – it's awesome, keep the reviews coming, yeah ^^ It makes us incredibly happy to hear what you think and that inspires us to write harder!

**~Noki-chan**

**Blade AN :: **Yes, agreed, a very long chapter. Over 10.5K words worth, sans the ANs. I'm honestly sorry it takes like, a month to update; however, with two of us working on it, things tend to take a while. Editing, reworking ideas, making it all perfect. You would think it was the opposite, huh? Not so much.

On that note, have no fear. We've got a lot planned for the next few chapters. Were you surprised by Sasuke? -wags finger- Dig as you want, we'll give what we want out about him and Tenny as the story allows. And don't any of you dream of telling me he's ooc -sticks her tongue out-. For an AU I think we're doing pretty well with him; it's not like anyone murdered his family or anything... That'd really change his whole attitude, huh? -sarcasm- You love us, you know it.

Don't expect another update for at least another month. We'll do our best.

—**Blade**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

* * *

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

**Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.**

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Shadows swirled against the walls and floor, originating from the place where grey daylight lost the battle against the bright, white fluorescents of the garage. Slowly Neji leaned back against the wall, chin angling upwards as he rested his suddenly aching head against the cool concrete at his back. From this position he couldn't see Tenten anymore; wouldn't have to face the curious chill that had chased up his spine as he'd witnessed the brief moment where she'd ducked her head and pressed hesitant fingertips against her lips.

A low groan ripped from his chest; what the hell was wrong with him? What was it about her that made him completely lose himself in want, made it impossible to focus on anything but her lips and her skin, her hair, and the way she felt pressed against him? Frustration made him rake his fingers roughly through the tangled chocolate strands that hung in disarray down his back; it was wrong. _She _was wrong – Hiashi would have a fit if he ever found out about … whatever this _thing_ between him and Tenten was. The enmity between their families … it was too high a wall for them to ever cross.

With a jerk Neji jack-knifed upright, horrified eyes staring unseeingly at the car in front of him. Where had _that_ come from? There wasn't even the tiniest part of him that actually _wanted _Tenten in his life – was there? It was lust born of anger - that was all; unfortunately they weren't five years old anymore or he could've found a distinctly more violent – and far safer for his sanity – way of working through the anger and frustration Tenten had such a knack of awakening in him.

But a part of him couldn't help but wonder - what would it be like if there were no restrictions? She seemed … so carefree, so unrestrained and expressive… what would it be like – feel like – to bask in that? To be able to just let go, have fun, and enjoy everything that life had to offer with no thought of what the future would bring; to pay no consideration to what was _expected_ of him? What if there were no time-limits, no outside parties to interrupt …

Blindly, instinctively, Neji shied away from that thought; dangerous territory to be straying into. Whatever chemical reaction happened whenever they touched _had _to end.

"Enough," his voice echoed hoarsely in the cavernous building, bouncing off the walls back at him and reverberating in his head, as he balled a fist against the wall and stared at the floor through hazy eyes. With tight, contained motion Neji turned around on his heel and strode back into the waning afternoon light, closing and locking the door softly behind him. The motion seemed strangely momentous, almost as if he was closing the door on a chapter of his life that had really made him feel _alive _for the first time.

"Enough."

This time the word didn't echo, didn't have the same reverberating effect, but the finality of it convinced Neji of its sincerity. He shook his head once and dug his hands deeply into his pockets as he headed towards the house, firmly focusing on nothing but his training plans for Zeus over the weekend.

There was no one in the kitchen as he passed, no one in the hallways, and Neji was relieved when he gained the landing that led to his bedroom; he really wasn't in the mood to deal with any more people today - maybe he should skip dinner altogether. Frown lines made deep, familiar grooves on his forehead and Neji just barely suppressed the sigh that wanted to escape; he wasn't feeling … _melancholy_ … not about Tenten, definitely not. He took a deep breath, the peace his beckoning door promised hovering just a scant few metres away and he quickly lengthened his stride, suddenly irrationally afraid that something else might crash down on him to further disturb his equilibrium. The doorknob twisted smoothly underneath his fingertips, the coolness of the metal striking in contrast to the warm, satiny skin he'd felt only moments ago.

"Soooooo…."

His heart pounding in the cage of his ribs, Neji whirled around, instinctively kicking the door closed behind him, even as his eyes sought the presence just announced by the drawled word. Instead of the silent sanctuary made up of his dark-wood furniture and grey-blue color scheme, the promise of peace was ruined by the reclining figure of Kiba Inuzuka in the middle of his queen-sized bed. He hadn't even bothered to kick off his sneakers, Neji noted with mounting irritation, suppressing the urge to forcibly yank the other boy off his bed.

"Fuck, Kiba," he swore viciously, adrenaline coursing through his veins, "who let you in?"

"Your cousin." The shaggy bangs fell over dark eyes as Kiba grinned smugly up at Neji from his stretched out position on the bed. "And imagine my surprise at finding little Hanabi damn near tears because she's convinced she nearly killed _Tenten_ _Sarutobi_. A girl who – last time I checked – had absolutely no reason to be anywhere near your house."

Neji sank down onto the stretch of dark-grey carpet in front of the door, his elbows resting on his bent knees, staring blankly at his friend as if he had no idea what Kiba was talking about. But, inside, his heart was pounding, his brain working a million different angles to try and explain this away. Usually one blank expression backed up by a glare was enough to get the Inuzuka off his back, but he'd been employing that technique since the closet-incident with decreasing success, and Neji rather suspected that Kiba wouldn't be so easy to divert this time.

Kiba sat up, impatiently shaking his hair out of his face.

"C'mon, Hyuuga, spill! I haven't got all day." He leaned forward expectantly, curious brown eyes fixed levelly on the figure of his friend. Silence greeted his exhortation and, with an exaggerated sighing groan, Kiba flopped back down onto his back.

"Fuck, Neji, why is it that any and all conversations with you resemble pulling teeth? I'm your _friend _– even if I'm still not sure you actually understand the concept – that means you _share_. You can't seriously expect me to fucking keep quiet when I find out you're banging Tenten _Sarutobi._"

"I'm not."

The words were just a tad too defensive and Neji winced, ducking his head and allowing his hair to fall forward, effectively screening his expression. The barking laugh from the direction of the bed informed him that he was entirely unsuccessful at evasive manoeuvring; that was the problem with having friends you've known all your life, they could read you like a book. He clenched his teeth and exhaled deliberately, leaning his head back against the door and meeting Kiba's incredulous gaze firmly.

"I'm not. One stupid game of 7 minutes in heaven does not automatically mean I'm into her."

"Yeah, right. I saw you when you came out of that closet … even if you didn't fuck her in there, it wasn't for lack of trying."

"I _didn't_." The words were forced out through clenched teeth and Neji quickly forged ahead in the hope of steering the conversation off course before Kiba could really warm up to his topic. "I fail to see how it's any of your business but, just to get you off my back, she only came looking for her phone."

The moment the words left his mouth Neji realized his mistake; a feeling compounded when Kiba sat up straight, canines bared in a triumphant grin.

"And she thought you might have it … why exactly? And details, Hyuuga, details!"

It was too late to backtrack, too late to try and head Kiba off and suddenly Neji couldn't help but wish that he was the type of person who could bare his soul to a friend. But he wasn't; everything else aside, no matter how he might have _wanted _to, he just couldn't. The words wouldn't come. Intellectually he knew it was stupid, mentally he recognized that he might feel better about the entire Tenten-situation if he could only lay it out logically for another, but it wasn't in him. Emotional declarations weren't his style and never would be, so instead he sighed and tried to think of a way to answer Kiba without giving anything away.

"Her car broke down and I gave her a ride a couple of days ago. The phone somehow got left in my car. Now drop it."

"I'll bet you gave her a … _ride_," Kiba laughed, trying to mask the sound as a cough and failing spectacularly.

"That's it. I'm done." Neji stood, irritably dusting the seat of his jeans and yanked the door open wide before stepping aside.

"Get out, Inuzuka."

* * *

"Your advice _stinks_!"

Tenten jumped, the magazine she'd been holding tumbling from her hands to fall with a thump to the carpeted floor, its glossy covers awry. Wide, hazel-brown eyes flew to the doorway even as she winced when it banged against the wall, the wood shuddering from the contact. Konohamaru stood just inside the door, his cheeks flushed, his eyes wild with panic, cellphone still clutched firmly in a sweaty hand.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" she gasped, sitting up and pressing a hand to her wildly pounding heart. "And don't ever do that! You nearly gave me a heart-attack!"

"This!" he yelled back, not in the least put off as he stalked over and waved the phone in her face.

Warily Tenten reached for the small, black, rectangular device her cousin was waving so forcefully at her, willing her heart to stop racing as she forced herself to focus on his latest crises. The moment her fingers touched the keypad the screen jumped to life, glowing whitely in the dimmer lights of her bedroom. A part of her mind wandered; how had a peaceful couple of hours reading magazines before meeting up with Sakura and Temari for a party turned into nearly being killed by her cousin for something she was entirely sure she couldn't have done? A frown pulled her brows together, lips twisting into an expression of distaste as she contemplated the coming introductions.

"Focus, Tenten! You had this brilliant plan … you fix it!"

Konohamaru's voice made her jump again, and she quickly focused her attention on the small screen. It was opened to the text message inbox and, the moment she read the name of the contact on top, her expression cleared.

"Ahhhh," Tenten leaned back against the pillows, unfolding her legs from beneath her as she opened the first message. It was from Hanabi Hyuuga, inviting Konohamaru to attend the party that evening with her; the second from Moegi, asking exactly the same thing. Tenten couldn't help it, she snickered, and immediately fixed her expression into something resembling contrition – or so she hoped – when her cousin huffed indignantly. Slowly, Tenten looked up at the dark-haired boy now sitting in front of her on the bed, and handed his phone back.

"It's not the end of the world, Konohamaru," she drawled, rolling her eyes, "in fact most guys would be thrilled at being invited to a party by _two_ girls."

He drew himself up straight, sparks flying from his eyes and Tenten quickly held up a hand to stall whatever he'd been gearing up to say.

"I honestly don't see the problem – you're friends, sort of, with Moegi, right? So she'll totally understand if you tell her that you're going with Hanabi. See? Problem solved."

Smugly, Tenten lay back, shifting around as she tried to get comfortable and recapture the peace Konohamaru had so rudely interrupted – after the incident at the Hyuuga place earlier she definitely needed to regain her equilibrium before even attempting to face not only Sakura and Temari, but Sasuke to boot. She grimaced, her attention already wandering to the ordeal that was to come and completely missed whatever Konohamaru said; though she rather suspected it was completely inaudible on account of his mumbling, anyway.

"What was that?" she asked, a tad impatiently, really only wanting to be left alone so she could figure out how on earth to explain Sasuke's place in her life without having her two best friends jumping to completely the wrong conclusion.

Konohamaru cleared his throat, wriggled in his seat, stuck one hand into the hair at the back of his head and, firmly refused to meet her eyes as he repeated himself, "I said that it would've been fine normally but I kinda-maybe-sorta-may-have-been-flirting-with-Moegi-to-make-Hanabi-jealous."

For a long moment silence hung like a heavy cloud in the room as Konohamaru shifted uncomfortably and Tenten stared at her younger cousin, dumbfounded.

Finally, she cleared her throat and attempted to find her voice, "You … you were flirting with Moegi to make Hanabi jealous?"

"It was all your dumb idea!" he jumped up and agitatedly began to pace back and forth in front of Tenten's bed.

"I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to flirt with someone you actually knew well!" Tenten retorted, twisting frustrated fingers through her already upset buns.

"It seemed easier; I already knew her and knew she wasn't going to shoot me down or ignore me or something," Konohamaru defended, glaring at Tenten.

"God, you dumbass," Tenten groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes, "the entire point was not to get caught in the middle of two girls, just to be a little bit more friendly than normal with one of Hanabi's friends so she'd see you in a different light." She sat up and glared at Konohamaru, "And I distinctly remember telling you to flirt with one of _her _friends!"

He seemed to deflate in front of the force of her glare, shoulders slumping as his head dropped, "Yeah, I know. I just … I was so tired of looking like an idiot in front of her and I thought it would be better this way. It was stupid, I know."

An irritated breath stirred Tenten's bangs as she regarded her cousin's despondent form. That was the entire problem with Konohamaru, she decided, he had such a way of looking lost and in need of her help that she could never stay angry at him.

"Argh!"

She flopped backward, lying stretched out on her back across the length of the bed, closing her eyes as she tried to think of a way out of this. It wouldn't do for Moegi to become upset and start telling tales to Hanabi … nor would it be conducive to the budding romance for Konohamaru to say no to the Hyuuga girl … the mattress shifted under the weight of another body and Tenten opened her eyes, turning her head sideways a little to regard her cousin, now stretched out much in the same way she was.

"Okay, it's not a total screw-up," she told him, her heart softening further at the hope blooming in his bright, brown eyes, "I think the only way to approach this it to pretend to misunderstand both of them. In other words, you say yes to both, get a few others to join in as well, and make it a group outing instead of a date."

The covers rustled as he nodded vigorously in agreement, "But what about Moegi?"

"Well, hopefully, she'll get the hint anyway but, if not, I think you're going to have to come clean with her … at the very least stop flirting with her right now," she aimed another dirty look in his direction from beneath half-lowered lashes.

"Okay."

Suddenly Konohamaru sounded very young, lost and intimidated and Tenten watched mutely as the last strains of irritation with him dissipated.

"You're going tonight, right?" he asked, attempting to sound nonchalant but failing to totally hide the pleading in his tone.

Tenten sighed, if she hadn't already been planning on going, she would've been now. "Yeah," she grimaced, "Sasuke's got to make the rounds sometime."

Konohamaru's expression cleared at the mention of the Uchiha's name and Tenten frowned suspiciously at her cousin as he stood to go, seemingly at ease again.

"What's up with that?" she asked, making no attempt to hide her suspicion from him. "Why would the fact that Sasuke's going make any difference? I never got the impression you liked him very much from when I talked about him in the past."

At her door he paused and, hand on the knob, sent a mischievous grin over his shoulder. "I don't dislike him personally or anything; it's just that no guy could possibly like someone who's this perfect badass and gets all the chicks. Not unless you're a badass who gets just as many chicks," he allowed, inclining his head, "point is: if he's half as "_hot"_ as Temari was squealing to you about on the phone the other day, the Moegi problem's solved – one look at Casanova and she'll forget all about me."

He turned on his heel, whistling loudly through the grin, leaving a stunned Tenten sitting on her bed, mouth half-open.

She'd never really realized exactly how much of a moron her little brother could be …

"Idiot! If Moegi has that reaction aren't you scared Hanabi will do the same? And don't eavesdrop-"

The door banged shut just as the last exclaimed word left her lips and she stared blankly at the closed door, not sure if he'd heard her or not, but half-glad he'd made himself scarce before she could kill the little brat.

* * *

Neji made it to dinner, after all.

Hiashi Hyuuga was polished, sophisticated and refined. His very presence in a room ensured that the entire building would reek of old-money and, as such, he kept a very strict household schedule. Polite manners dictated that the family gather at least once a day, for dinner, and Hiashi dictated that they do it the right way. No informal gathering at the kitchen table with many voices tripping over each other as everyone tried to get a word in edge-wise; no sloppy t-shirts and sweatpants for the Hyuugas. No, instead, their nightly gathering took place at the large, polished teak table in the formal dining room; Hiashi at the head of the table with his nephew and daughters arrayed to his sides. They were expected to change for dinner and to be at the table precisely at half past seven – no excuses barring illness or not being home were acceptable.

So, it was thus, Neji found himself dressed in black slacks and a blue button-down shirt, sitting down for dinner at exactly seven-thirty … inwardly irritated with himself that he couldn't even stick to the resolution to stay in his room for one night. He suppressed the guilty little voice that whispered that he'd already stretched the boundaries far enough, what with nearly having sex with his uncle's arch-enemy's offspring every chance he got … as if he was some kind of sex-starved fiend. Personally, he couldn't care less about any Hyuuga-Sarutobi feuds – he knew nothing about it – but all Hyuugas were raised from childhood to distrust a Sarutobi. He could still recall the exact instance when his aunt had explained to four-year-old Neji and three-year-old Hinata, shortly before her death, that Sarutobis were not good playmates, not _their _kind of people at all.

"Good evening."

His uncle's even tone and formal turn of phrase drew Neji back to the present and he forced himself to pay attention to his family as they sat down and the housekeeper served the first course.

Butternut soup.

He fucking _hated_ butternut soup.

Neji forced his expression to neutral as he lifted a spoon of the steaming liquid to his lips and took a small sip. He just barely managed to keep the grimace off his features but he was nonetheless very thankful when his uncle started to talk, laying his spoon down precisely and fixing all three young Hyuugas with the piercing gaze he was well known for.

"Any plans for this evening?"

_Hell, no_. Neji supplied inwardly, while outwardly he only shook his head and politely looked towards his cousins for their replies.

"Actually, I was wondering if it would be alright if we went to a small get-together tonight, Father," Hanabi inserted smoothly, throwing a pleading glance at Neji.

He could see the way she kicked Hinata under the table and marvelled inwardly that his uncle never picked up on these covert communications. He glared at his youngest cousin, turning his head just slightly so his uncle couldn't decipher his expression. It clearly told her there was no way in hell he was going to any kind of party tonight.

Hinata seemed to have caught on to the ploy her sister was trying and she sat up straight, the blush nearly unseen in the dim lights of the sconces on the walls.

"Ye-yes, Father. We were planning to go with your permission, of course."

Hiashi frowned, fixing his daughters with a searching look while they both remained sitting quietly; the picture of innocence and good intentions.

Neji suppressed the urge to snort inelegantly. If his uncle knew half of what he did …

His phone vibrated in his pocket and while his uncle was busy questioning Hinata about who was likely to attend and where it would be held, he slid the phone from his pocket and read the text message from his youngest cousin.

"_Agree or I'll tell him you were kissing Tenten in the garage."_

He froze, just barely managing to hang on to the presence of mind to slide the phone back into his pocket and pretend he'd been listening. Thankfully his uncle was now lecturing a bright-red Hinata about being alone with boys in a house without parental supervision, and he could safely glare at Hanabi. Her opaline eyes glittered as she stared pleadingly at him, her lips forming silent phrases: 'Please say yes, please say yes'.

Neji sighed, his eyes dropping to his bowl of soup with distaste, and quickly spoke up. Hanabi's attempt at blackmail would have to be stopped of course – he would have to extract a promise from her that this particular piece of information was only valid as blackmail material this one time but still, for now there was no harm in letting her think she'd won.

"I was thinking of going too, Uncle."

His quiet voice seemed to ring loudly through the room, bouncing off the wooden panelling and the glass-fronted cabinets and he forced himself not to acknowledge Hinata's look of surprise, even as he saw her jump from the corner of his eye. Hanabi had probably kicked her again.

"Were you, Neji?" his uncle returned almost absently, turning back to his soup, "in that case, I don't see a problem with the girls attending as well. You'll have them back by eleven, please. Hanabi's only fifteen, after all."

Neji nodded, firmly returning Hanabi's mouthed 'thank you' with a glare, and the rest of dinner passed peaceably enough as the talk turned to the general dinner table topics Hiashi preferred: the businesses, the younger Hyuugas' futures, and the value of grasping opportunities with both hands and living up to your potential, instead of wasting time with pets and toys.

After dinner the younger generation of the Hyuuga household spread out in different directions as each headed towards their bedrooms to change into less formal clothing, while Hiashi headed for his study. As Neji grabbed the first pair of blue jeans his hand touched, and the first black t-shirt his eyes lighted upon, he cursed Hanabi roundly, even as a side of him acknowledged that it had been a good attempt by the younger girl. They weren't Hyuuga for nothing, after all.

He pulled the shirt over his head, and yanked his hair free of the collar, carelessly tying it back into a low ponytail and wondered if he could get away with staying in the car and listening to music for a few hours, but quickly decided against that course of action; he'd told his uncle he was going, so now he'd have to go. The buttons on the jeans were quickly fastened and as he sat down on the edge of the bed to pull on his Converses he hit speed-dial on his phone, laying it on the bed after putting it on speaker while he tied his laces.

"What, Hyuuga? You can't go five hours without missing me?"

Kiba's teasing voice rang through his room and Neji snorted in reply.

"In your dreams, Inuzuka. I have to go to a party, since my stupid cousins blackmailed me into it, so get Suigetsu and meet me there; I'll text you the gps coordinates as soon as I find out where the fuck they're dragging me to."

A low whistle rang from the device on the bed, "Agitated, are we? That's the second time you've said 'fuck' today."

Neji waited for the Inuzuka's guffaw to fade away before he replied through gritted teeth, "Whatever. Just get there, Kiba. I am not going to be surrounded by a bunch of giggling girls all night."

He ended the call before any retorts could be forthcoming, once Kiba got started it was hard to head him off. A glance around his room to make sure he hadn't left his keys or his wallet behind and Neji was ready to go; he leaned over the bed and reached for the house-phone, dialling Hinata's extension.

"I'm ready to go. Get Hanabi, I'll meet you at the front door."

Again, he hung up without waiting for a reply. Kiba hadn't been far off the mark … he was agitated.

Neji finger-combed his hair as he took a couple of deep breaths, fighting for the customary calm that lay just out of reach. He wasn't stupid, it didn't take much to figure out that the only reason Hanabi was going was because Konohamaru Sarutobi was going … he'd noticed the way Hanabi suddenly seemed inexplicably shy when the younger boy stood chatting with her group of girls at her locker, he'd noticed the glances she threw at him, the way Hanabi constantly tried to get his attention. But, Neji had been letting it slide, not because of Tenten and whatever happened between them whenever they were alone together but simply because the younger Sarutobi seemed to have gotten the hint and now appeared interested in one of Hanabi's friends. If only Hanabi would realize that she was better off letting her friend get on with it, then everyone's lives could go back to normal.

… Tenten would be there, tonight. Neji knew that. Lately, wherever Konohamaru went Tenten wasn't far behind. And a part of him was, God help him, looking forward to seeing her … but the bigger part of him, the sane part, that part told him that it was foolishness to try his luck for a second time that day.

The insane part of his mind had won in the end. The fact of the matter was, Hanabi couldn't tell Hiashi a damn thing about Neji's life and she knew it, she'd get him into a little trouble and herself into a whole lot more once Neji started disclosing things she'd rather her father didn't know about – the sneaking out, the parties she attended while her father was under the impression she was sleeping over at a friend's house … the list went on. Her threat had been, in essence, worthless, but still Neji had agreed … because that insane part of his mind was whispering rebellious, traitorous thoughts and he desperately needed to be rid of that little voice. Of the wondering.

Maybe if he saw her with her … boyfriend, friend, whoever the hell he was … maybe then it would shut up and he could go back to being completely oblivious to matters concerning Tenten Sarutobi.

Maybe.

* * *

"There ain't no rest for the wicked, money don't grow on trees! I got bills to pay! I got mouths to feed! And there ain't nothing in this world for free! I know I can't slow down, I know I can't hold back! Though you know I wish I could! Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked, until we close our eyes for good!"

Their voices shouted out in unison as the radio blared throughout the little '71 Dodge Demon. Tenten thumped the butt of her palms against the steering wheel in sync with the beat. Laughter and smiles skipped between broken voices which were almost wholly out of tune.

She grinned as Sasuke hummed while trying to light a cigarette _and_ half-move to the sound at the same time. She was barking with mirth now; especially when he nearly burned himself. But then the chorus was back, and they were shouting to each other, half-meeting the others' gaze.

She might have been worried if there was anyone out on the long mile of dark wood-lined road. But there wasn't.

So instead, she hit repeat and they did it all over again.

"Oh man, I think my voice is dead," she said through even more laughter after the song finished its second round and she dialled down the volume.

"You needed it," he spoke between a drag and exhale of smoke.

"Do I?"

He nodded as he slouched back and set his right arm on the window ledge so that the smoke from his cigarette would siphon out of the car. "You're all stressed out over this Neji bullshit." He flicked ash idly, staring forward. "If you plan on dealing with him tonight you need to loosen up."

"I already dealt with him, no thanks to you," she muttered, referencing their earlier conversation where she brought him up to speed—sort of—about the garage incident.

He turned to look at her then, raising a brow. "I thought you didn't want to screw him. So what does it matter if he thinks _we're_ screwin'?"

"We're _not_, so I don't need _anyone_ thinking _we are_," she defended, repressing an immature huff.

"Since when do you give a damn about what other people think?"

"You and I know it's not about that." She gave him a light punch to the shoulder. "Quit being a jerk," she said with a little smile as he grunted in reaction. "Anyway... I just need to focus on keeping him away from Konohamaru. Lately, the imp's been redirecting his attention at one of Hanabi's friends—in a bad way—but, regardless, he's done a good job of getting Hanabi interested _and_ keeping Neji from thinking he wants his little cousin."

"Your little distraction at the party helped too."

Not that she wanted to remember, but yes. "Well..." She shrugged. "That doesn't discount the fact that he's eventually going to notice that our cousins want to play tonsil hockey." She sighed, smiled slightly, and placed her elbow on the door so she could lean her brow on her fingertips.

"In the case of Konohamaru, my methods always work. As for Neji, even if he does notice, you just have to be one step ahead of him—and that's something you're good at, Ten: predicting where the arrow hits based on where you direct it.

"Quit worrying."

Problem was, it wasn't his methods she was worried about; nor was it Konohamaru or Hanabi she was worried about either.

It was her.

And controlling Neji? Directing _him_? No easy feat. She was just lucky he was easily baited that night. She couldn't always count on that. She knew their two cousins were going to run off somewhere to hide from Neji; however, how long would it take before he started looking? And how far would she have to push him to get him to keep off their backs?

Why had she ever gotten into this mess?

"Looks like we need to turn here."

She blinked once as Sasuke pulled her out of her thoughts. Her eyes followed his pointing finger to the faint glow of light in the woods on her left.

"There's a road," he said next just before she turned onto the path with tire grooves from overuse. "And quit it."

She just smiled this time, not bothering to ask what. "I'll feel better once we get there."

"Good, because I'm kinda tired of staring at you while you have that vague Itachi expression."

She laughed.

"Better."

This road was as dark as the previous one they had been on; although, it got a little brighter the closer they got to the sounds of music, the dim flaring of bonfires, and the shouts of teenagers. She began to see small seas of kids gathering around parked cars with cups in their hands. As she pulled up onto the grass she somehow managed to spot Temari's little yellow VW bug; she took the spot next to it, smiling at Sakura waving at her through the windshield. Quickly enough, she put the car into park and shut it off. Her keys were pocketed as she slid out, locked the door, and shut it.

"You made it!" the pinkette shouted as she hugged her, red cup in hand.

Tenten hugged back. "Drinking already?" She pulled away as Sakura did.

She shrugged. "Not a lot. I'm DD tonight, so just one cup for me now. By the time we head out a few hours I'll be fine."

Tenten nodded. Her brow furrowed as she looked beyond her friend and felt Sasuke come up next to her. "Where's Mari and Konohamaru?"

Sakura turned around and looked out at the crowd. "She went to the bathroom... I guess. Said she'd be back five minutes ago. As for your cousin? He ran off about thirty minutes ago."

_Probably to find Hanabi_.

"Have you seen the Hyuuga brood yet?"

Sakura nodded as she looked over at her, pulling her gaze from the crowd. "They were some of the first ones here, next to us. Why? Still keeping the heat off Konohamaru's back?"

Tenten sighed and scratched the back of her neck. "Sorta..." She stared out at the crowd, eyes slowly narrowing only slightly. One hand rested on her hip and she moved up on her toes a little.

"If you need to go look for him I'll be fine here," Sakura offered.

"I can stay with her," Sasuke said.

At this Tenten whirled on him, eyes piercing and lips slightly pursed.

"What?" He raised a brow in that purely Sasuke way.

"I don't need a babysitter, thank you," Sakura said.

Tenten ignored her. "You know _what_."

In response he took a drag off his cigarette.

She rolled her eyes and reached out, taking him by his upper arm. "Yeah, I think she's _much_ safer without you. Come on, you can help me look, Casanova."

As they went off into the crowd and she finally let go of him, he said, "You're a cockblock, you know that?"

"When it comes to someone like Sakura who happens to be my friend? Yes." She side stepped a group of kids, getting closer to the bonfire.

"You know, if they're off somewhere, they're probably not stupid enough to be anywhere _near_ the crowd."

"Well, I'm not necessarily looking for Hanabi or Konohamaru," she replied as she stopped near the fire and looked about. "I'm looking for their friends."

"Smart," he replied next to her.

"Well, if anyone knows where they are, they do, right?" She glanced at him.

"Are going to spend this entire party keeping your little cousin out of trouble?"

She laughed. "I hope not. God. Why?"

He smirked. "Better than just getting wasted and hitting on your friend."

She levelled him with a look. "Yeah. Not happening. Maybe you should try Karin or Ino if you want an easy lay."

"Easy bitches are _not_ my idea of fun," he muttered as he put out his cigarette. "Especially when they're stuck up as hell."

"Yeah, well—Hey!" She cried out just as none other than Moegi dashed by her. She grabbed her shirt and tugged, yanking her back. "Where's Konohamaru?"

"Uh..." she blinked stupidly at her, big black eyes a little confused and wary.

The brunette rolled hers. "He's not in trouble. But, if Neji finds out he's with Hanabi then it could get ugly. So, if he plans on me keeping Mr. Stick-up-his-ass away from him—then I need to at least know where he's gone off to."

Moegi frowned slightly, looking a little put off by the topic of conversation. She sighed and pointed beyond the bonfire and into the woods. "He went a little that way with her. There's a lake not too far in that direction."

Tenten nodded, letting her go. "Can you run off and let him know I'm here? I've got to find Neji."

Moegi hesitated and Tenten felt stupid almost instantly. "Get _someone_ to. It's important, Moegi."

Moegi nodded, eyes downcast. "I don't want anything to go wrong for him... but..."

"I get it. It's ok."

"Thanks, and I'll make sure he gets the message. Bye."

Tenten watched her go and breathed a small sigh of relief. "Now to find that Hyuuga bastard."

"And which Hyuuga would that be?" a voice hummed from behind her, sounding distinctly like _said_ bastard. "Somehow I doubt your referring to my cousins, _Sarutobi_."

* * *

**Blade :: **Howdy! Miss us? Sorry this update took what, three months? Gah, horrible. But, to be honest, most of this chapter has been done for a while. Nokito did a lot of the grunt work here. I did the ending. Give or take, my major contribution was about 1.5k. So, no frowny faces at her -waggles finger-. The Truth: **I've been working on a new original work that I'm posting online at wattpad[dot]com**. If you're interested, look me up under **bladeredwind**. And please, if you read the story there, comment. I need input. ^^

Happy Thanksgiving! AND! I've started the next chapter! ^^ Hopefully it'll be up by the holidays.

**Noki-chan: **Sorry this took so long! But … hopefully quality is worth the wait ^^ … the ball is in my court with the next chapter for now but we promise to try our utmost to get it out as quick as we can! As always, thanks for your awesome support!


	6. Chapter 6

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

* * *

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

**Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.**

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

"Drink?"

There were people everywhere; much as there had been at the house party a week ago. It was loud; the sound of music blaring from different devices almost grating on his ears. Three girls had already hit on him, inebriated beyond any measure of good; one had nearly thrown up on him before he'd shoved her at Suigetsu and Kiba.

His only saving grace was the cool night air, evened out by the sporadic fires all over the place.

He found himself raising a brow at Kiba as he leaned against the hood of his car—if nothing else but to prevent other people from doing the same stupid thing _while_ drunk. Usually, he said no right away. Long ingrained in him by his uncle were the dangers of alcoholism; however, his agitation made him take an uncharacteristic pause before he shook his head and pushed the cup aside.

"You know I don't."

Kiba shrugged. "Can't blame a guy for trying. I figure if you do, you might relax a little, since sex is supposedly out of the picture.

"And, ya know, that's the only thing that's convinced me you haven't slept with that hot little arch-nemesis of yours. I seriously have this theory that it'd suck all the pent-up aggression right out of you and you might actually be normal for more than five minutes."

As tempting as it might have been to smash Kiba's head into a nearby tree... he remained impassive and offered an eye-slitting glare.

Kiba's grin in return wasn't helping, his laughter that followed made the play-by-play in his head that much more tempting to make real. The ear-splitting shrieks from behind where Karin and Ino were now screaming at Suigetsu only made matters worse.

Neji closed his eyes, sighed and counted down from ten.

"Hey, where'd Hinata and Hanabi go?" he heard Karin ask.

"Uh..." Ino started, obviously thinking about it. "Oh, yeah!" she snapped her fingers as she replied. "Her friends came over and dragged her off to roast s'mores. Why?"

"No reason... just didn't see them around; and they were here, what, a second ago?"

Ino laughed. "That's because you were too busy trying to suck Suigetsu's face!"

"Ugh! No way!"

"Yes way! Don't deny it."

"Did someone say my name?" the aforementioned party piped up.

But, by then, Neji wasn't listening anymore. He found himself standing up and turning around to where he'd seen his cousins not three minutes ago _before_ Kiba had started in on him. Both of them were gone—naturally. Not that he would have usually cared (too much), but...

_Damnit_.

"Ino," he called out to the blonde, grabbing her attention. Her bright, blue eyes snapped to his, brows raised.

"Yeah?"

"Was that Sarutobi brat in the group that Hanabi went with?"

She frowned. "Tenten?"

His lips twitched into an irritated frown even as his fists tightened in his jeans. His patience was wearing undeniably thin. "No. Konohamaru. Her _cousin_."

"Oh," she said stupidly before taking a sip of her drink through her straw. "Um..." she echoed as she looked upward, brows raised once more. "Actually, yeah, he was, now that you ask."

He didn't wait for her to ask why. Instead, he turned to Kiba.

Kiba spoke before he could address him, "If you want to know, the hot little nemesis—whom you're _not_ fucking—got here about ten minutes ago. I saw her wander by with her Billy Idol wannabe."

"Who?" Neji couldn't help asking, not—for once—noting the gleam in his wolfy friend's eyes.

He rolled them next. "I forgot; your taste in music sucks."

Neji sighed. "_Kiba_..."

He took a swig from his cup, the one Neji had refused. "I dunno his name. The one she was suckin' face with Monday."

Cold, biting ice made a path down his spine; he couldn't help it or stop it. Ultimately, it made his agitation from earlier _worse_. His heart felt resolved to find her, but his mind convinced him it had nothing to do with kissing her or someone _else_ kissing her; rather, that it had to do with keeping Hanabi away from Konohamaru. As the eldest, it was her job to keep her brat of a relative under control—just as it was his.

At least, that's what Hiashi had drilled into him for years. And right now, it _sounded_ as good an explanation as any for his present condition.

"Whoa! Where ya—Hey! Neji!" Kiba's voice cried out behind him as he stalked out into the night.

The Inuzuka boy grunted, watching Neji slowly disappear into the crowd. "Well... if that's not jealousy..."

"If what's not jealousy?" Karin piped up next to him.

He offered her a charismatic, wolfish grin. "Watching you swap spit with Suigetsu, babe." He mock pouted. "What about us?"

She shoved him, making him half-laugh and grunt in the same moment. "Shut up, prick."

But Neji heard none of this; by this point he was dodging one person half-stumbling after another and carefully avoiding ninth graders he didn't know while at the same time trying to spot ones he knew were friends with Hanabi. What he really failed to realize was how his opaque hues stuck on one brown head of hair after another.

He shouldn't have to do this, shouldn't be forced to go off searching for his slip of a cousin, who—like Tenten was to Konohamaru—was more of a sister to him than cousin; actually, more so, given that he'd grown up with her as far back as he could recall. Hell, he'd been present right after her birth.

Maybe that was it; maybe she just didn't _understand_ the dedication required of him. After all, the Sarutobi household was much more relaxed, especially if her grandfather was allowing her to hang out with the likes of... of... _that_. On a much more sane level, he might have really considered that looks weren't all that true; however, he really wasn't. Thus, at best, he saw the _punk_ as everything but good. He grasped onto that angry feeling of Tenten not really caring or understanding what it meant to _be_ family like he did, like the Hyuuga did.

He was only trying to protect Hanabi, which was far less than he could say of Tenten with regards to Konohamaru. If she understood, which she didn't, she wouldn't put her little 'brother' in this predicament. She would also grasp that it wasn't _Neji_, but his uncle's wishes he had to follow.

"—Hey!"

His head snapped; his body nearly swung around as he heard her voice. And there she was, hands on her hips, talking to Moegi—Hanabi's friend... and the girl Konohamaru had been hitting on... but _he_ was nowhere in sight.

His eyes were slits.

He didn't even realize he was walking forward until Tenten got closer and he knew she wasn't moving. To the outward observer it wasn't walking however, it was _stalking_. He managed to stop short about five feet away from her near a tree—which he leaned a shoulder against as he crossed his arms over his chest. In this position the shadows around him blocked out the dancing flame-light.

He couldn't really hear her very well, not from this distance because of the low tone she was speaking in to the younger girl. She looked quite intent however. Unconsciously, his eyes roved over her.

She was wearing sneakers, like normal. Long legs went on for what felt like forever, honed from a few years at lacrosse. About her hips, riding low and hugging her bottom, was a tight, little, black jean skirt fastened with a studded belt. Her midsection, much to his shock, was bare; her upper form was covered only by a grey cotton top. Her arms had the usual bangles and bracelets. But, her hair... it was down again. Opaque hues trailed the chocolate waves from where they cascaded like dark honey down her back.

His chest tightened, warmed, hummed and the feeling exploded from there outward; it pricked at his skin, just as she pricked at his senses and his pride. Goosebumps made a path along every area of flesh, tapering with heat. It pooled in his groin, electrifying him without consent.

_Enough!_

He couldn't keep doing this, torturing himself. What was the point? He asked himself this as he turned his line of sight away from her and towards the ground to his far left. Strands of his hair fell, toppling across his temple to half-curtain his features from the passerby.

She was just another girl. There shouldn't be anything amazing about her, nothing to drive him to this insanity. _But there was_, his heart rallied back, ignoring his superior sense of logic and reason.

His jaw tightened, clenching to the point of pain. His fingernails mirrored the action into his palms. His knuckles would have met the same fate against the very tree he leaned against were it not for _her_.

"Now to find that Hyuuga bastard."

And then the aforementioned logic and reason reminded of just _why_ he'd been looking for her.

_Hanabi. Konohamaru._

"And which Hyuuga would that be?" he found himself almost demanding in that smooth, aggressive tone he regularly tried to cow her with—in vain—as he stepped forward and out of the shadows. "Somehow I doubt you're referring to my cousins, _Sarutobi_."

Tenten spun around, surprise briefly evident in her eyes. And then they narrowed as she hesitated. The first thought to jump to mind was: how much had he heard of that? Of course, all depending on how much he had heard would explain his current mood. After all, they'd left on a pretty good note earlier today... too good, actually. Then again, Neji could be moody in general. Who knew.

So, she chose to roll her eyes and cross her arms over her chest. "You never know. Hinata might have pissed me off sometime in the last six hours or so since we spoke."

The flare in his eyes told her he thought otherwise. This was especially so when they shifted to Sasuke, lingered, and then drifted back to her.

"Where's Hanabi?"

"How would I know?" she replied. "Isn't it your job to keep a leash on your little cousins?"

Neji could feel a vein beginning to twist just above his brow. "Wouldn't you? Assuming _your_ little cousin is with her."

She frowned. "What's your problem, Hyuuga? Konohamaru hasn't been hounding after Hanabi for a while now. Remember? He's being sniffing up Moegi's skirt."

A smirk began forming as he took a step toward her. His hands slid to his hips as he made some level of an attempt to intimidate her by towering over her; which, wasn't very effective considering she was only a hair shorter than him. Heels only made it worse—when she wore them. "Yes, but I just watched Moegi speak to you and run off. Now, presuming you're not going to try to lie to me, Konohamaru isn't with her. So, it stands to reason he's with Hanabi."

"And why does this matter?"

"Because I have a problem with it," he bit off, leaning closer. "And if something isn't done about it, I'm going to make it your problem."

She snorted, staring at him through lowered eyelashes. "Doesn't seem like I'm losing out too much, since you're _already_ making it my problem." Her brows rose. "Now, do me a favour and back out of my personal space, _Hyuuga_."

"Ten—."

"I'm _fine_, Sasuke. Promise."

His sigh was audible.

Again, Neji's eyes flickered to the guy with her. Sasuke was his name, apparently. He brought his gaze back to hers, smiling a little snidely. "So, tell me, _Sasuke_, do you make a habit of making out in a school hallway with your friends?"

Tenten blinked at this remark. What...

"If they're good kissers, why not?" Sasuke shrugged lazily. "I do even more if they're up for it and the chemistry's there." And then that smirk came as he lit a cigarette. The sinful one that generally made Tenten want to roll her eyes at his arrogance.

And then he winked. At Neji.

Tenten blinked. Twice.

"But you know, they say the best ride is one with your enemy. How 'bout it?"

Tenten slapped a hand over her face. She shook her head. _Sasuke, you and your mouth... sometimes..._

"Ten here was an _amazing _ride."

And then the flash came. Tenten jumped into action as soon as she realized what was going to happen. She grabbed the back of Neji's collar and pulled him back. "What the hell is the matter with you, Hyuuga?" She shot a glare at Sasuke, mouthing, 'What the hell?'

Neji jerked in her grip, turning to glare at her again.

As he opened his mouth to shout something at her she interrupted him, whispering tightly, "In case you haven't noticed, we're gathering a crowd. So, if you want to continue this... _talk_, we need to go somewhere else." Her eyes shifted left and right, touching on one lingering set of eyes and ears after another.

Neji paused, following her gaze for a few brief seconds. After a moment, he bit off, "..._Fine_." He jerked again and out of her hand as she let go of his collar. "After you." He motioned towards the woods.

She rolled her eyes, but went first nonetheless, nearly stomping the whole way.

_Stupid fucking Sasuke._

She tilted her head around to glare at him again for making this all worse. However, in reaction all she got was a thumbs-up.

_Jackass_.

Really, she loved him to death; however, sometimes he could be just a... bah, it didn't matter. The real point of fact was that he'd helped her get Neji right where she wanted him—away from Konohamaru and Hanabi. That kid had no idea how much he owed her. Surely, she'd gone above and beyond what she owed him for the hallway incident.

"Here is fine," she heard him say from behind her.

She stopped and turned, looking beyond him and back to the party. He wasn't wrong, surprisingly enough. They were just far enough away that she could hear muted laughter and dim music. "I guess," she replied with slightly less enthusiasm than before. Her arms crossed her over her chest and she levelled him a look. "Mind telling me what your issue is?"

"I believe I already told you that," he replied, hands on his hips again. This time there was a good two feet between them. "You just fail to grasp the concept that your cousin and mine should not be spending excessive amounts of personal time together."

"Oh, god, what is with you about that already?" she said, exasperated. Her hands spread in front of her, arms wide. "What? Is Konohamaru not _good_ enough for your family, or something?" It dawned on her that this was a topic that had never really come up between them, not even since her little imp of a brother had told her of his interest in Hanabi. But, she realized, like an epiphany, that it had to come up eventually. And right now, with her anger rising higher than it really ever had before with Neji, it seemed as good as time as any other.

Neji opened his mouth to speak, but then snapped it shut, for once not entirely sure _how_ to answer such a question presented so directly. His mind couldn't really find a diplomatic way to say, why yes, my uncle thinks your entire brood is lower than horse manure.

"What?" she snapped, taking a step forward. "Can't say it, _Hyuuga_?" Her teeth were half -bared, only partially open in a slight snarl. Her brow was knit and her eyes aflame. "Go ahead, say it. Konohamaru isn't good enough for Hanabi, right?

"Why? I don't even understand what it is! We're just as good as your family! Hell, we make just as much fucking money as you do even if we don't _flaunt _it!"

"It's not my decision!" he shouted back as his voice returned to him, one arm spreading out in front of him as if to emphasize his point more clearly. "Do you think I even give a damn about that? _Seriously_?"

"Oh, but it is!" she cried back, unable to stop herself. "It's your whole damn family! Too good for Konohamaru, too good to mingle with the other students, too good to pick on them like your friends do," she spat. "No, you have to be _worse_!" She took those final steps forward, poking him in the chest, jabbing even. "You just stand there! Haughty bastard! Watching while your buddies bully others!"

How had this become about him? Wait, was she touching him _again_?

"You think I enjoy hanging out with them?" he replied, revealing much more than he cared to without realizing it. "I do it because it's expected I spend some time with my peers!"

"And how do you define peers!" Her hands were at her sides now, fisted. She was shaking with rage. Her face was as red as his, if not redder, as she seethed up at him. "_Oh_, _I'm sorry_, no one else is _good enough_!" she shouted the last two words louder than the others, practically in his face.

She—he—_godamnit!_ He wanted to—no. The urge to hit her or... something...wasn't as strong as it had been with Kiba; no, it was stronger. Kiba _never_ got under his skin like this one girl did. For years, they'd bickered back and forth; they'd traded insults and tolerated one another moderately at best. But now—_Christ!_

"Ugh!" she cried out suddenly, turning away from him. "I can't _believe_ I ever kissed you! You're so...so..."

"Insufferable?" he offered, bite in his voice ever-present. "No, I believe you're looking to attribute that word to how _you_ are, Sarutobi. Not the other way around."

"Oh!" she cried, turning those fiery chocolate orbs to his as she pointed at him. Amber danced just there, making them look almost realistically alight with aggression. "You—you—!"

"If it makes you feel any better," he interrupted smoothly, "I never wanted to kiss you to begin with! It wasn't all that pleasant!" _Lies._

Her mouth was wide; it became an O of much wider surprise than just moments ago. "_Ohhhhh!_" she growled the word out. She wanted to murder him! The liar! "Really? Is that where you're going to stand with this? _Again_? Because we know how well that ended for you _last time_."

The sudden images that sentence conjured in his mind were almost immediate and just as vivid as always. The car; her scent; her hands; the way she grasped...

_No!_ _Enough!_

"I'm leaving," he bit off finally, closing his eyes tightly and turning his head away. Running was never his forte. But, he knew, he just _knew_ if he stayed here much longer... He swallowed and turned on his heel, desperately avoiding her gaze, and trying not to look at any part of her.

_Insanity_.

"You're what?"

"Leaving!" he retorted even as he walked away, trying not to actually run. "Exiting, departing, removing my person from this place! Take your pick, Sarutobi."

"We're not done yet, Hyuuga!" she shouted to his back, watching as he did exactly as he said he would. He couldn't be serious. He was going to actually walk away? After saying that? "You're a liar, Hyuuga! If you don't like me, fine. That's obvious! But don't try and tell me I do nothing for you.

"Because in the end, you're just bullshitting yourself more than me."

He stopped and then, ever so carefully, turned to look at her with one eye. A cool, translucent orb met her own determined ones. "I'm collecting my cousins and going," he snapped and then paused, eyes narrowing further.

"I don't _want_ you," he said, voice slapping. "I never did," he stated next, driving the nail home. "I never _will_," he executed with finality, and convincingly, with deliberate force.

And then he really did leave.

All she could do was glare, fume, angrily at his back as childish insults formed in her mind—breeched the passage of her lips in incoherent mutters shortly after. Some part of her wondered, briefly, what was she doing? Hours from now, perhaps days even, she would look back on this night and ask herself:

Who was that girl?

* * *

Sasuke was standing exactly where she had left him, the only difference being the addition of three or so blatantly flirting girls. Normally, the sight would have amused her. However, at the moment, Tenten was too incensed for amusement of any shape or form to make much of a dent in the general waves of anger that exuded, nearly palpably, from her frame. She stalked closer to her friend, almost twitching, and not at all reluctant to spoil his chances to score and ruin the night for him. Hyuuga had effectively ruined _hers, _after all, and didn't they say that misery loves company?

Her footsteps crunched loudly over fallen leaves and twigs that littered the area around the fire. They were far enough away from the various pieces of blaring music that Sasuke glanced up at the sound.

"Ten, what-″ he started, eyes narrowing as he took in Tenten's dishevelled appearance; the bright spots of angry color that adorned her cheeks.

"That … arrogant … insufferable …_ unbelievable_ …"

Words failed Tenten, the anger that Neji had ignited, and that had swirled relentlessly in her gut throughout her stomping walk back to the party, temporarily overcame the ability to speak coherently.

Helplessly, Tenten raised her shoulders, forcing her breathing to even out as she shifted her glance so she was glaring at the ground instead of at her friend. Strong, familiar, _soothing_ hands cupped her shoulders; Sasuke manoeuvred her over to a large rock, applying pressure to make her sit and Tenten simply followed the directions.

"Here," he said calmly, pushing the cup dangling from his fingers into her hand. "Drink; you need to calm down."

Without further urging Tenten grasped the plastic container, gulping a generous measure of the liquid down in one swallow, only to choke as she realized that Sasuke had been drinking whiskey when she had been expecting the much more generic beer. Spluttering and coughing, trying to breathe through the burn, Tenten glared at Sasuke who was still crouched down in front of her, amusement lurking in his dark eyes.

"Shit! Sasuke! You could have warned me!"

She refused to acknowledge the near-whining note that lurked just beneath her half-choked words. The angry prickling behind her eyelids also refused to totally subside but, for the umpteenth time since Neji had left so abruptly, Tenten swallowed the tears of impotent rage. She grimaced inwardly as Sasuke's expression shifted, minutely, from amused to real concern; the fire must have reflected the suspicious brightness in her eyes…

Tenten took a deep, shuddering breath, "Okay, better now. Thanks." She smiled at him, hoping she appeared convincing though knowing that he knew her far too well to buy the fake smile. "Really, it's all good. It just that …. Ugh, Hyuuga knows exactly which buttons to push!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and shifted, with that almost preternatural grace Tenten had always secretly envied, so he was perched on the rock next to her. She moved over a little, giving him more space and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers interlocked and head tilted towards her. It was Sasuke-speak for 'what the hell happened' Tenten knew, but she couldn't even begin to gather her thoughts. After a moment she decided that it didn't matter; Sasuke, of all people, would be able to make sense out of even her most drunken ramblings. Her mouth opened, and almost against her will the words started to flow.

"Well, apparently, my cousin isn't _good _enough for his! No one will ever be good enough for His-fucking-Highness. Can you believe that? And then he had the sheer audacity to try and _justify_ that kind of thinking!"

The anger had barely begun to recede but even just recalling their conversation for Sasuke's benefit brought the roiling waves of rage rolling back in: high-tide reclaiming the sands of calm. She brought the cup back to her lips and, prepared this time, took a small sip.

Sasuke remained silent, merely sitting and looking at her, knowing without being told that they'd barely begun to scratch the surface. Tenten grimaced; he really knew her far too well … knew that she honestly cared very little what anyone thought of her or her family, for that matter. Still, she couldn't quite quell the little voice at the back of her mind that warned her of her precarious footing on treacherous ground: what exactly was bothering her if it wasn't the aspersions being cast on her cousin's suitability for Hanabi? A cloud of chocolate hair flew around her shoulders as Tenten shook her head angrily. _No, goddamnit, I will not let that insufferable prick cow me into hiding from _anything.

"_Then_, if you please, he just _had_ to go and pull the same repetitive bullshit from before. For someone who claims to have hated kissing me he definitely had no problem with it while it was happening!"

A deep breath did nothing to alleviate the anger.

"Argh!" Nor did the growled, whisper-scream help at all.

Before she was entirely aware of what she was doing, the cup had flown from her fingers, liquid splashing in silver streaks onto the ground.

"That was good whiskey, you know," Sasuke remarked mildly, staring at the glimmering patches seeping into the trampled grass.

Her fingers tangled into the long strands of dark hair spread in a disarray across her shoulders, spilling down her back, and her nails dug into her scalp as Tenten buried her face in her knees. "Why am I letting him get to me this much?" she groaned, "and _why the fuck_ is it only getting worse all the time?"

No pearls of wisdom left the Uchiha's mouth; in fact, he rather looked like he was forcing himself not to say anything when Tenten glanced up at him, which had to be a first…

Sudden understanding widened her eyes, jerked her spine upright and with a toss of her hair Tenten rounded determinedly on Sasuke. The studied indifference on his face gave way to mild alarm but Tenten didn't even notice.

"You were right," she told him quietly, carefully enunciating each word. "I have to get this out of my system. He's always bugged me but never this much. I hate how angry I get, so that I feel sick for days … and the only explanation is that the anger is more intense because of the sudden sexual side to our fights. "

Warily, Sasuke watched but still said nothing, as Tenten took a deep breath.

"I have to sleep with him."

Dark eyebrows rose, and Sasuke briefly closed his eyes, lashes forming dark crescents against his pale cheeks.

"Er… You know, Ten, when I said that angry sex wasn't necessarily a bad thing …″

But Tenten wasn't listening. She jumped to her feet, determination firming her jaw, muttering under her breath, and glanced around as if searching for something. Slowly, Sasuke followed suit, moving forward until he stood in front of her, blocking her view of the crowds of teenagers. "Tenten," the words were low but firm, "think about this. If you really hate the guy so much then fucking him won't make you feel any better-″

Surprise widened her hazel eyes and Tenten laughed, the sound empty of mirth. "Who ever said anything about hating him?" she interrupted, "I revile the asshole, yes … but hate is reserved for someone you actually cared about before you wound up hating them. And I don't. Care about him, that is. At all. No, Sasuke, this has nothing to do with hate and if I can prove a point into the bargain … then why not?"

Sasuke gave up. There was no reasoning with Tenten when she got like this.

In a whirl of hyperactive motion Tenten purposefully strode away, pushing through the crowd and, for the moment, Sasuke let her. Finally, sighing and cursing under his breath, he followed after his oldest friend as she stalked towards the woods again.

"Where are we going?" he called after her, not bothering to try to catch up.

"I have to find Konohamaru and Hanabi," she called back, clear purpose ringing in her tone. Now that her mind had been made up Tenten couldn't believe that she'd been so dismissive of Sasuke's suggestion at first. She already felt better. Of course he'd been right; in Tenten's experience it had been proved time and again: the only way to normalize any kind of male-female interaction was to remove sex from the equation first.

_Doesn't want me? Never has and never will? Yeah, right! Oh, how much fun it will be to make you eat those words, Hyuuga!_

She was barely aware of the moonlight and the distant glow of fire that lightened her path through the woods, barely heard Sasuke's muttered curses from behind her, never even saw the beauty of the lake at night-time. Her focus was absolute, her eyes peeled only for the sight of human figures. Unfortunately, Konohamaru and Hanabi weren't the only couple at the party to have retreated to the privacy of the lake and Tenten grimaced at the sound of giggles and rustling that broke the stillness of the night air as she walked down the well-worn path, visible even in the moonlight.

The little voice she refused to acknowledge was whispering again, asking how much of what she'd told Sasuke was true and how much of her decision had been born of wounded pride and the electrifying promise of having Neji's hands and lips all over her skin again … Her gaze drifted, a slight shiver chasing down her spine and Tenten paused in her head-long rush, long enough for Sasuke to catch up.

"I know this is pointless but I'm your friend so I'm going to say this again: I don't think this is a good idea, Ten."

He frowned down at her but her attention was caught by a couple of shadows right down by the shore. She'd know Konohamaru's silhouette anywhere.

"Come on," was her only reply as she started towards them.

Throwing his hands up into the air, in a gesture of exasperated surrender, Sasuke followed as they wound their way carefully down the slight embankment leading to the edge of the lake. The youngest Hyuuga was playfully pretending to kick water at Konohamaru but all levity ceased the moment Tenten converged upon them.

"Oh, god, he knows," the Hyuuga girl said, fingers rising to hover over her mouth, a horrified expression visible in her pale eyes, even in the dim light.

"No," Tenten corrected, "but he suspects. And he's looking for you. So you'd better go find him before he gets really pissed and makes life even more difficult for you."

_And for me_, she added mentally. Grimly, Hanabi nodded but before the younger girl could say anything Tenten jumped in with her, admittedly, strange request.

"Hanabi, can you get me into your house a little later?"

"Fuck, Ten! _That's _your brilliant plan?" Sasuke's raised voice carried over the water and, from somewhere, someone squeaked in alarm.

"When did you go all prim and proper on me, Uchiha?" Tenten demanded, hands on her hips as she whirled around to fix Sasuke with a piercing glare.

"Fine, fuck, whatever, on your own head be it," he snapped back, turning away and digging his hands into his pockets.

For a moment, Tenten could've sworn she saw the tiny frown-lines between his eyes that only appeared when the Uchiha was planning something … something that she usually didn't like very much, but then she remembered her cousin and his little girlfriend standing in front of her, gaping in bewilderment at the strange exchange, and she shook her head as she turned away from the Uchiha. If he was plotting something she'd have to cross that bridge when she came to it.

"So, Hanabi, can you do it?"

"Um … yeah … I guess," hesitance was written in every line of the Hyuuga girl's frame as she watched Tenten anxiously, "why?"

Tenten turned on the Hyuuga girl so suddenly that she took a step backwards.

"Because your cousin and I have a discussion to finish," she growled through gritted teeth.

Surprisingly Hanabi smiled, "No less than he deserves, I'm sure." She giggled, "Can you be at our gate in about an hour? My dad called Hinata a while ago, he's got to go away … something about an urgent business deal. But, yeah, by then everything should be calm and I can sneak you in, no problem."

Tenten grinned at Hanabi, surprised to find that despite Neji's incredible talent to get under her skin and Hinata's general diffidence, she quite liked the spark in the youngest Hyuuga.

"Perfect."

* * *

**Blade AN :: **Hi, guys. Sorry we held you up again. I think it's been over a month since we updated, anyway. -shrugs- Ah well. We try to get it out at a decent time.

So, what did you think this chapter? Good tension? How'd you like the fight or Ten's decision? Do you agree with Sasuke and think she's going too far with Neji? Only time will tell, right? So, next chapter things will **definitely get more heated**. Expect a little more M-rated goodness. If you're not into that however, you might want to try and skim over it. I warn you, between me and Noki, it's gonna get a little... -ponders- well, I don't know that there's a _word_ for it, but you know what I mean ^^.

Thanks ahead of time for the RnR.

—**Blade**

**Noki-chan a/n: **Yeah, apologies for the delay but it's only because we want everything to be perfect for the readers!

Don't you just love the Neji-Kiba friendship-interaction-thing? –stars in eyes- too cute!

Soooo … -coughs- nejiten lemony goodness ftw, yes? ^^ … but before we get to that, please remember to leave a review and let us know what you thought about this chapter!

**~Noki-chan**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

* * *

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

**Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.**

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Sasuke didn't say anything to her on the ride there. Sakura had driven Temari and Konohamaru home and the devil in the driver's seat had taken the keys from her. Whether he'd done it out of spite, because he was worried about her driving with a few more drinks in her system than he'd had, or a little of both—she wasn't sure. Granted, she'd had more to drink than he had... Sasuke was pretty good at making everyone think he'd had too much. He'd told her years ago there were many times he pretended to be a little off kilter to get in better with women. How that helped entirely she wasn't sure.

But she wasn't really thinking about any of those details—not presently.

Tenten Sarutobi was brooding; or maybe brewing was a better word. She was half-giddy with anticipation of, both literally and metaphorically, screwing her rival over (and being done with this mess, she told herself), and still half-aggressive with what he'd said to her.

It was probably a good thing Sasuke was so quiet. She wasn't in any mood to talk, not to him when he was so against this. He'd been the one to tell her to go for it in the first place so what was up with him now?

She could just barely see him out of the corner of her eye. He looked relaxed enough driving her Demon; however, the faint furrow to his brow, the slight frown on his mouth, and the dimness in his eye... He was worried, she knew. About her. He didn't need to be! Wasn't he the one who'd taught her how to do all of this the right and safe way? She could hear his voice reiterating to her that time long ago what to do, what not to do, how to avoid a bad situation with a guy, if you got into one how to get out of it, who to be wary of, always use a condom, use birth control, get checked monthly... the list went on. And that was just to be clean and safe. Nevermind how to reel the guy in... not that it was too hard for a girl.

She did agree guys had it harder.

_UGH, off topic, Ten!_

There wasn't much of a need to feel sorry for Sasuke anyway. He could just go on being stupid. She knew what she was doing.

Hyuuga was going to pay. He was going to have fun, she was going to have a lot of fun, and in the end he'd just end up pissy at her for making him want her all over again.

"We're here."

Chocolate browns jolted to Sasuke. He caught her eyes for a few brief, heavy moments before indicating with a lazy gesture to her window.

She looked and sure enough, there was Hyuuga's huge-ass house... looming in the dark.

"Thanks," she murmured as she grabbed her bag and opened the door.

"Ten."

She paused, but didn't turn around or look at him.

"...Don't trip up."

She nodded and then left, shutting the car door behind her before he could say anything else to shake her up. She had to stay focused on the goal. She wanted this. He was just being an idiot. What was the point of being so slick if you couldn't use it to prove a point to a prick once in a while?

And Neji had it coming... _prick_.

As she walked up to the gate it was already shifting open. Behind her, she could hear Sasuke driving away. He'd agreed to wait around the corner just in case someone came by who might wonder about who he was. Plus, kids in the area knew her car. All she needed was a rumour to spread like wildfire.

Hanabi was waving from the front door, urging her to hurry. Tenten ran the last few steps and the younger girl practically yanked her in and pulled her into a dark room just around the corner.

"He went straight to bed when we got home. Everyone's been sent home but the old man who's been employed since my grandfather hired him." She rolled her eyes. "He should retire... but whatever... good thing about that is he's conked out for the night in his room on the other side of the house.

"I don't know if you've noticed... but we're not exactly the type of household... to get in trouble even when my father's out of town. So—"

Tenten nodded. "So they just leave you to yourselves."

"For the most part." The younger girl grinned. "And as long and Hinata and I keep it under the radar Neji pretty much ignores us when our father goes out like this."

"Makes sense... So..." Tenten waved her hand as to indicate where to go next.

"OH!" Hanabi partially exclaimed, eyes widening. "I just didn't want anyone seeing you. I mean... I guess I'm just being paranoid... but try to be quiet... well, at least until you get into Neji's room. If anyone found out I was the one who got you in here..." she shuddered. "You can't even let Neji know I did, got it?

"That's what I pulled you in here to tell you."

"No worries."

"Cool, c'mon. I'll show you where to go and then get back to my room and far from getting into an inch of trouble."

Tenten didn't respond as Hanabi led her up a staircase and halfway down a hall. The younger girl stopped at a door.

"This is my room," she whispered and then pointed to the door at the end of the hall; the very last one. "That's Neji's. You'll pass Hinata's... so just try to keep it stealthy, alright?"

"Light sleeper?"

"She is sometimes. And I didn't tell her I did this for you either." She rolled her eyes again. "My sister is a little too goody for her own good sometimes.

"Anyway, good luck."

"Thanks... I think," Tenten replied to the closing door and disappearing Hanabi.

Her view shifted from the white painted wood in front of her to the one at the end of the hall. She almost glared at it as a sinister smirk curled across her features.

_Just wait, Hyuuga_.

* * *

Musk from the barn permeated his senses. The scent rolled off of him—literally. Sweat gathered in crevices and muscles ached in a way that was familiar and calming. Finally, he'd found his center again. For how long that would last he couldn't be certain.

With a sigh Neji dropped a wet shirt into his laundry basket. His room, like most others in the house, had its own bathroom. A fact he was grateful for most of the time, like now. It was one of those few places he could gather quietly without fear of being verbally molested by one of his cousins or anyone else. And right now he needed it.

The rest of his clothes hit the basket just after his shirt. He reached for the knob to the shower and started the spray. The sound of water against tile quieted every other noise. After a quick adjustment he stepped in and shut the glass door.

He stood there for a while, eyes closed, as he leaned back into the rain-like downpour. It rolled over his chest, abdomen, back, and thighs. A long exhale escaped him as he settled into the temperature, as he ran his fingers though his loose, long strands.

And suddenly, the action reminded him of her hands right there, running into his scalp, digging in and caressing. Almost immediately, he could feel her breath on his face, her exhale across his lips, her voice along his cheek as she whispered with dripping sarcasm and teasing snippets of—

His fingers dug in to his own scalp just a moment before he nearly ripped them away from his head, almost pulling out hair in his wake. Something between a bark, a growl, and a cry of anguish left the passage of his lips. As he exhaled, panting with frustration, willing his heart to stop hammering in his chest, the quiet of the shower—the white noise of the spray—wrapped around him like an insanity.

He allowed his back to fall against the wall behind him, sighing and wiping a hand down his face. The heavy thump against his abdomen reminded him just what his vivid conjuring of her memory did to his body.

How easy it would be to just reach down and take care of himself as he usually did... but that would mean so much more than a mere fantasy he drummed up. Giving in to her, even by himself, that was dangerous. It led to dangerous things he couldn't give into.

Dangerous things he'd told himself he was done with over an hour ago—that he'd told _her._

And yet the longer he stood there, feeling like a jilted idiot, asking himself what the harm really was when no one would know but him, the harder it became to say no.

"Fuck it," he whispered before he relaxed back into the wall, the spray of water, and began to roll careful digits over flesh in a way that barely mimicked her hand.

* * *

Tenten slowly released a breath once the door to Neji's room was open and she realized he wasn't in it. She blinked several times, just staring. But, upon recalling what Hanabi had said she quickly and quietly shut it behind her. And then she frowned.

If he wasn't in here then where the hell was he?

Her eyes swept around the room, narrowing only slightly in frustration. She couldn't help but note the muted, simple cleanliness of it all. It wasn't what she'd call Spartan, but it was a far cry from what her room would look like if her grandfather ever got around to redoing it. She made a mental note to remind uncle Asuma once more about that.

Trapped in her own momentary and half self-induced ADD she wandered around, coming to a book shelf. Idly, her fingers slipped over the spines. Most of the titles were about horses or uncommon ways to handle them. There were a few fiction books... sci-fi... some classic stuff—nothing too surprising there. It was Neji, after all.

Well, if he wasn't here—

She stopped as that thought brought her to a physical halt; her foot thumped against something, nearly tripping her.

Shoes ... and socks.

So he was home.

Her eyes travelled up and locked on another door she hadn't noticed in the room. A door illuminated by light along the bottom. She closed the distance to it and listened. And then a slow smile curled across her lips. This—_this_—was almost better than finding him asleep or catching him engrossed in something. No, it was better.

_Like hell you'll see this coming, Hyuuga._

Praying he wasn't paranoid enough to lock the door, Tenten carefully began to turn the knob. Once she was certain it wasn't, she began to undress. Her bag was placed on the floor. Each article of clothing went into it so she wouldn't have to search for it when she left. Her hands half shook in frustration as she fought with her jewellery.

She took a quick breath before taking the knob again, and this time entering swiftly and silently.

Everything was brightly lit by the fluorescents along the mirror. Although, it was hard to see anything past the panes of glass because of the humidity the heat clouded them with. Still, he must not have heard her or seen her; all was quiet as she strode across the room, just a hair smaller than his bedroom, and reached for the metal bar to open the glass sliding-door.

Here she didn't hesitate as she had with the bedroom and bathroom door. She just slid it open; however, the sound of a breathy moan made her take pause just as she slid the door shut behind her. Curiosity hit her for only a second before she realized _what_ had caused such a noise.

He wasn't the first naked man she'd seen and he wouldn't be last. They came in all shapes, sizes, colours, and (unexpectedly) flavours. Many of the guys she found herself attracted to were not what a lot of girls ogled on TV and in the media. She didn't like them anorexic-skinny; that shit hurt when it came down to missionary, all bones against bones.

Sasuke was skinny, but he had his share of muscle. He worked out; he just didn't fill out like other guys did. So, it was an odd thing to change her own perspective once she'd realized not every guy was physically going to match up to her best friend and first lover.

Neji though... he was all tone, all abs, and all arms; probably from working horses. His skin, so blush-white, accented the shadows of all those dips and valleys.

Water rolled over him so naturally, caressing along his skin until it hit the tiles under his bare feet. His hair was soaked in it, flattening like black ink over his back because of the dampness. Several strands had fallen across his face and curled over his jaw and up along his neck—not that he noticed. He was bracing himself against the wall, looking both pained and desperate, as his fingers sought to bury themselves into the tile behind him. Her eyes focused on his other hand; she watched in rapt silence as his graceful digits drew up and down, smoothing over veined flesh.

She couldn't help the flush that bloomed over her features in her silence, nor the way her body burst at the sight of him doing something so... personal. She'd seen men do it before, the more brazen ones; however, for some reason watching Neji..._Neji_ doing it... Prideful, stern, too-good-for-it-all, intelligent, 'perfect' Neji just didn't compute in her head. Not right away, anyway. But, even when she came back to herself, it was still hard to imagine.

In the end, all she could do was smile after she managed to collect herself. He was so engrossed in his own actions he _still_ had to notice her.

He still didn't as she stepped forward, placed both hands to either side of his head on the wall behind him, and came within a hairsbreadth of his bare skin. Her lips were barely brushing his as she whispered softly, "Need some help with that, Hyuuga?"

He jumped and his eyes flashed open, meeting brown; laughter danced over the sound of running water. A gasp left him; pinkened lips parted. Inadvertently, his grip loosened; just barely, he registered that thickness falling against skin not his own. That might have shocked him had it not been for the rather real _naked_ female presence in front of him.

_Tenten_.

She laughed again. "Don't stop on my account..."

For some reason that got him to come to his senses. His hands snapped over her upper arms, pulling her away from him. His grip was tight, his jaw clenching. "_What are you doing here?_" He couldn't keep the aggression out of his voice. How could he? She was in his shower. Naked. He was naked. She'd seen him...Christ!

He closed his eyes; and yet even as he counted, it wasn't enough to stop the red blooming across his face as it hit him—what she'd seen him doing. Her laughter wasn't helping, as soft and as sexy as it shouldn't have fucking been.

"This is bordering on sexual harassment, Sarutobi," he bit off, opaque hues boring into hers.

She smiled, leaning into his grip and settling her hands on his hips. "So like you to point out facts when you have a naked _wet_ woman in front of you. Honestly, if it wasn't for the time in car I'd begin to wonder if you were gay." And then she reached for him.

His hand snapped over her wrist. "_Stop._"

She sighed, lashes half-lowering over her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something and then snapped it shut, smiling. He'd let go of her shoulder, so it didn't take much for her to free herself and drop down to her knees.

"What—" Anything he wanted to say choked on the noise straining to spill from his throat. He found himself bracing the wall again, this time both the back and side wall; it was all he could do to keep his knees from bucking as her mouth wrapped around him, as her tongue coiled around his flesh, as she sucked, nibbled and blew over it.

He was torn in two directions. Part of him wanted to stop her, to pull her away, to make her quit the way she forced his body to submit to hers. And then the other half of him, the winning half, wanted her to keep going until he'd had enough; at which point he'd give in completely.

It wasn't fair she was so... experienced. It wasn't fair she knew exactly how to push his buttons, to get him in just the right spot.

His eyes opened and he jerked as her tongue rolled over his... He looked down just as her tongue dropped one sac gently. Once she met his eyes, soaked in the spray of the water... his eyes travelled to her bare breasts. He swallowed as he followed pinked peaks, up the curve of her neck, the way her hair flattened and half-curled over her perfect skin.

He repressed a groan.

_It just wasn't fair, damnit_.

It really wasn't fair when she let her tongue creep out in an all too cute way and lap _once_ over his tip.

His heart slammed erratically after that; he made himself go still as she _slid_ up his front, bare wet breasts caressing his abdomen and chest, among other things; the action was frictional against the falling water; it splashed and sprinkled both the wall and her face. He shuddered involuntarily as her fingers crept up his neck and into his hair, as she pushed her center into his, as she sighed—cooed—across his lips.

"C'mon Neji... I'm right here."

Maybe it was his first name on her lips, the way the letters rolled over her sensual tone; maybe it was the way her warmth slid against him; maybe he was just drugged on the lust the situation provided. He didn't know, but at that point he wasn't sure it mattered anymore.

He was hard, they were wet, and his resolve was in tatters.

He pulled her into his arms, but not too urgently. If he was going to do this it wasn't going to be fast, hard, and over. It was going to last and it was going to be good, if he could help it. He wasn't so far gone as to act like a complete beast.

If she thought they were going to have a complete repeat of the closet, she was dead wrong.

One hand curled around her, over her butt so he could press her more firmly against him. His other took the back of her head as he slanted his mouth across hers. She made a noise into his mouth and softened in his arms.

"I'm not doing this in a shower," he managed to breathe out between his lips on hers.

"I'm flexible."

"Good." In that instant he shut the shower off, opened each door, and lifted her into his arms.

She blinked. "You don't have to—."

"Are you really going to argue with me _now_?" He stopped, and gave her a look with one brow raised.

She smiled. "And here I thought you enjoyed my wit."

He dropped her on the bed and crawled after her as she moved up towards the pillows. He hovered over her and stared right at her. "One would assume you didn't come here to talk." Anything she had to say next was silenced with his mouth. Her muffled words turned into laughter; the sound tumbled down his throat and warmed him.

When she wasn't angry or defensive Tenten's laughter was deep and light all at once, rolling over him unexpectedly and without his permission; it soaked into his skin the way her presence did, demanding to be seen—heard.

Her skin was warm too; the softness of it became gooseflesh against his palm as his hand caressed down her side, as his thumb rolled just barely over the edge of her stomach, as deft fingers trailed down her thigh and gripped gently as if to make sure he wasn't asleep.

He couldn't imagine the hell he'd be in if his uncle found him doing this with her; but then, he'd already decided to ignore his usual sanity and grounded logic. Whatever hell had to be paid he'd pay it later.

He listened as she gasped while his lip traced the curve of her neck and along the underside of her ear. Her arms were on his shoulders, nails just barely biting as she moved her head to allow him more access.

"Don't be too cautious," she whispered. "I won't break."

And then he bit gently, shutting his eyes in appreciation as she arched her back just enough so her chest pressed into his; hard nipples dragging. The hand on her thigh drew up, curling naturally under her back so he could keep her there, skin against skin. But he wanted to move lower... and keep that warmth.

He drew back awkwardly, pulling her with him. She blinked at him, raising a brow until he settled her on his lap, her legs around his waist.

"You like to move," she said with a small smile as her hands rested on his forearms.

"Isn't that the idea?"

And then she laughed again, at least until his lips lazily came to envelope one of her nipples. Then her body tightened against his; her nails were cutting into his flesh once more. The noise she made caught deep in her throat, sounding half like a growl. He couldn't help the way it made his blood burn in his veins, ripping through him and pressuring into him a want to go faster and harder. The longer he was with her like this the more he had to repress his body from repeating that night when all self-control had been a faint memory.

He was on his back, head bouncing against the mattress. He opened his eyes and stared up at hers, locking on her stern and impatient expression.

"Every time you start to get into it you slow down. You're killing my overdrive, Neji. All this starting, going, slowing, is starting to piss me off."

His eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"Can we pick up the pace? Or are you afraid to?" As she asked this she smirked.

"Excuse me?" he bit off, affronted. "I have no reason to be." Fear was not something he liked being accused of, especially by her. Although, really, this wasn't the best situation to be accusing him of it in.

"Then you tell me what's going on," she replied as she lowered her face closer to his, lips hovering over his own. "I was kinda hoping for a more complete version of our time in the closet. But, if you're not man enough to rise to the challenge—"

She expected him to toss her on her back, but instead he tangled his fingers into her scalp; he dug in, took hold of her hair and forced her lips against his. The action effectively took her breath away, the desperation of it, the way he let go of all his... pompous control and gave in with a passion she always suspected danced just under the surface of his calm exterior. His other hand went lower, grabbing her ass so that he could push her down as he ground upward and slid along her moist center. She shuddered against him, both giving into his kiss and giving back with equal fever.

It was heat; liquid heat poured through her, making her claw at him, grind against him, nip at him and bite along his neck. Her hands were everywhere as much as his were. They rolled over once, twice, three times, changing positions; they gasped and moaned, drawing it out until Tenten finally rolled him over, slick with sweat and panting as she took him in her hand and placed his tip at her entrance.

"Ten—"

"Shut up," she snapped before sliding him into her in one quick motion. "I'm on the pill," she managed to get out, just as she realized she'd broken rule number one. Still, if Neji had an STD, she was the queen of England; so she let it go.

The look on his face forced any other thoughts from her mind. She'd expected to feel giddy with some sense of accomplished revenge. But instead ...

Her heart jumped, slammed, against her chest as his opaque hues locked on her much darker ones. Her jaw went a little slack and her expression came up blank. She didn't know what to call it; the feeling that hit her... it was like he was staring right through her.

She felt... _naked_.

But before she could think much more deeply about it he rolled her over again, kissed her, and started to move. But the kiss wasn't the same; it was totally different, not just in comparison to their kisses... but to any other kiss she'd ever shared with a guy before. It was tender, demanding, and it felt as though he was breathing himself—his feelings—into her with it.

She couldn't fight it, even as some nagging fear crept up on her. Because all at once she was drawing closer and closer to that breaking point her body sought.

"Neji..." she heard herself say between the caress of his lips on hers.

She gave into it somewhat unwillingly and he _held_ onto her, crushing her to him like he couldn't bear to let go and gave in himself. Her name was on his lips as they cried out together, bodies taunt, and spent themselves on their own need.

A moment passed before he rolled off her. Slowly, she swallowed and opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to push down the feeling that this really hadn't gone the way it should have. Had it...?

It didn't matter. She had to go. And she couldn't let him see it, whatever _it_ was that was bothering her. She especially couldn't let that bastard Sasuke see it. _Shit_.

"What time is it?" she asked as she got up hastily and went to her bag; she began to throw her clothes on.

"...3" Neji answered as he sat up and watched her curiously.

"I have to go. If my uncle finds me coming in at this hour I'm dead."

He managed a lazy nod before he wiped a hand down his face. "This round goes to you, I suppose... not that I should be complaining."

She hated that her grin was forced while she replaced her earrings. "Lucky for you I don't kiss and tell. So, as far as your friends and mine know, ball is still in your court." She flung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door. But, not before a hand took her arm, pulled her around, and warm lips assaulted her own. When he pulled back, his voice was soft, his smile boyish.

"Just wanted to get that before we start fighting again."

Her heart strained at his words, the playfulness. It was in that moment she realized—finally—just what that creeping fear crawling up her spine was. Somehow, she forced another smile. "Night," she said before practically running out of his room.

* * *

It all passed in a blur – the silent glide through the shadows to Hanabi's door, slipping inside and avoiding the younger girl's curious questions about how it had gone. After all, though Hanabi wasn't stupid, she was still very young and therefore innocent. She thought she'd helped Tenten sneak into Neji's room to continue a conversation; a laugh wanted to bubble past her lips, more out of hysteria than because of any amusement … how could she tell Neji's cousin that it had gone nowhere near as planned? What would she say? "I wanted to fuck his annoying presence in my life away and instead I seem to have wound up making it worse?" Abruptly Tenten was glad she'd taken the few seconds out in the hallway to tie her hair up in a tight bun – in the dim light the wetness of her hair wouldn't be too noticeable. Luckily it was late and Hanabi was anxious to get her out of the house before they got caught, and she ushered Tenten out into the hallway again with only the minimum of curious probing.

With a sigh of deep relief Tenten slipped out of the Hyuugas' front door and quickly ran over the gravelled drive to continue her trek to the gate over the grass – it would make less noise that way. All the while she was incredibly conscious of Hanabi's speculative gaze boring into her back. Part of her couldn't help but wonder if Neji was looking out his window, if he was trying to catch one last glimpse before she disappeared into the night … she shook her head violently and sped up her pace. The gate loomed in front of her, her ticket to freedom; she could just make out the dark shadow that was Sasuke waiting for her in her car just outside the glowing pool cast by a streetlight.

Oh, god, _how _was she going to face Sasuke when she felt like this? When everything had been turned on its head and she had no idea which way was up anymore though she was frantic to escape … the _look _on Neji's face, the way he'd said her name, held her close …

The gate opened smoothly, soundlessly, and Tenten quickly slid through the gap and ran to the car; threw herself into the passenger seat and managed to wave a careless hand indicating Sasuke to drive.

* * *

From the corner of his eye Sasuke watched as Tenten slumped down in her seat, relief in every line of her body. But he'd known her forever, knew her better than most, and he could pick up on the tell-tale lines of tension that tightened her muscles and mingled with the relief.

"I take it all did _not _go according to plan," he murmured, voice heavy with irony.

"No, it went _exactly _as planned," Tenten sat up straighter, defiance coloring her voice.

Sasuke smirked mirthlessly, shooting her another quick glance, "If you say so."

"I do say so." She nodded decisively and quickly changed the topic before he could probe too deeply, "So, are you crashing with me or what? It's way too late to drive you back."

The car drew to a gentle halt outside her gate and they waited patiently while the gate slid open; in the early hours of the morning traffic was non-existent and it had taken them even less than the usual few minutes to arrive at the Sarutobi residence.

"If all went as well as you say, I don't see how you've got the energy for another round with me," Sasuke drawled teasingly and pretended to wince when Tenten punched him lightly on the arm in retaliation.

But Tenten's laughter ringing through the car eased the knot of apprehension that had tightened by increasing increments from the moment he'd left her at the Hyuuga's gate and Sasuke allowed himself another small smirk.

"I thought you had your sights set on getting into Sakura's pants now," Tenten teased back.

Sasuke shrugged noncommittally, "Maybe. But we'll never know since you won't let me within five feet of her."

"Damn straight!" Tenten nodded vehemently to underline her decisive words.

"Don't complain – you're not putting out so what do you expect me to do?"

The words were light – still playful and teasing – as they got out of the car and slowly made their way up the front steps. As Tenten fumbled for her keys in the dark, she laughed over her shoulder at the Uchiha slouching behind her.

"Whore."

"Damn straight," Sasuke returned, giving her a slight shove to indicate she should hurry up.

They slipped silently into the shadowy house, and it was as if they were 12 years old again and sneaking in long past curfew, struggling to keep the laughter suppressed so Mikoto wouldn't wake up. The worry of the evening fell from Sasuke's shoulders as he allowed himself to relax into the knowledge that Tenten was fine. But he couldn't quite forget the wildness in her eyes – just barely seen in the glow of the street lamps outside the Hyuuga place – the almost panic that had lurked in the hazel depths. Whatever she claimed Sasuke knew that all had not gone as she'd planned.

As he followed her down the dark hallway to her bedroom, he trained his gaze on her back, eyes roving over her, and he was relieved to find that none of the tension from earlier was present in her posture. Still, he knew that more was going on beneath the surface than Tenten would ever admit. His mouth firmed with determination; she would hate it if she found out so he would have to be careful but, silently, Sasuke decided that he would have to keep an eye on Tenten for the next few days.

* * *

**a/n: Thank you so much for your continued support! We're ecstatic about the wonderful feedback and really glad that everyone is enjoying it despite an erratic update schedule. We apologize for the delay but, meh, life happens, yeah xD we're trying our best … so, we hope you liked it ^^ Though any and all love should be laid directly at Blade's door as she wrote the bulk of this chapter; I added the sections at the end, pretty much xD Still … we're really excited to hear what you thought of it – the leaps and bounds of progress in terms of NejiTen smexiness and intimacy (face it, that's always a good thing!) and Sasuke's concern … please don't forget to leave us a review!  
~Noki-chan  
Ps. In the rush and excitement to get this chapter out for our readers as quickly as possible Blade forgot to do an a/n xD … but I know she's also excited to hear what you thought!**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

* * *

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

**Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.**

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

_**Chapter 8**_

Neji sighed as he rolled over; the incessant sunlight slanting through his open curtains refused to be ignored any longer. Not that he'd had any sleep anyway; the third sleepless night in the week since Tenten had snuck into his room.

The memories were insidious, seeping into his consciousness with serpentine slyness, so that he was remembering the feel of her - the taste of desperation and the rolling tide of bliss - before he could catch himself. Shaking his head firmly, he quickly swung his legs over the side of the bed. This was getting ridiculous; his sheets had been changed at least twice in the week since he and Tenten had been together and still, he could smell the subtle scent of her skin – sweet and spicy simultaneously. It was completely ludicrous because despite what his nose was telling him, he _knew _that it was all in his head.

An entire week spent waiting, watching, wondering … because there was no way that Tenten would let him get away with that last kiss, he was sure of it. Instead he'd barely seen her and when he did she'd carefully pretended not to see him, before putting as much distance between them as she could manage.

The scowl was beginning to feel permanently etched into his features.

She'd been … strange, after. Skittish and distant – indefinable emotions flickering through her expressive eyes so fast that he'd had no hope of identifying one out of the mess. Why it had been so important to know what she was feeling, if anything had changed for her the way it had changed for him, still made no sense. A week of mulling it over, of trying to place the strange feelings curdling inside him, and he still hadn't made any headway. The only good thing about the day was that it was Saturday – maybe an uninterrupted day with Zeus would help to restore his equilibrium. Not that he was making any progress with the horse either; almost as if the more chaotic his personal life became the more the horse sensed it, and the less he wanted to cooperate.

Neji groaned in frustration as he headed towards the bathroom for a quick shower. He was rapidly growing to hate the strange feeling in his gut … like a swelling balloon he had to squeeze flat at disturbingly frequent intervals. He couldn't seem to keep his thoughts from straying; from remembering the small gasps and moans, the abandon with which Tenten had lost herself in his arms. Though that only, inevitably, led to the memory of the shutters coming down, of how she pushed him out; how she almost instinctively tried to forget that anything had happened at all.

While Neji certainly didn't have Tenten's experience when it came to sex, he wasn't stupid. He knew that it wasn't always that intense, that absolutely shattering. Years of listening to Kiba brag about his conquests had assured Neji of only one thing: if he was going to be naked and vulnerable, and give so much of himself to another person, then he would make damn sure there was a real connection between them first. Unlike his friends, he wasn't interested in fleeting, shallow pleasure merely for the sake of it.

The water poured over his head, ice-cold and unforgiving, because he'd been so caught up in his thoughts he'd forgotten to check the temperature before stepping under the shower spray, but Neji ignored the involuntary shivers that chased down his spine. It lingered … just out of his reach … he was _so _close to finally unpicking the tangled knot that was Tenten and himself …

Abruptly, without permission or conscious volition, the image popped into his head and suddenly the water wasn't cold enough to cool the anger heating his blood. In his mind's eye, he watched as Sasuke ran his hands all over Tenten in the hallway, his tongue down her throat … and if the asshole was to be believed he'd done a lot more than that, too. Neji gritted his teeth so hard he could almost hear the enamel cracking and his movements were suddenly purposeful as he reached for the soap.

He had to get this figured out before it drove him completely to distraction.

* * *

The horses were in the paddock; the hands had let them loose to enjoy the fine day. They grazed peacefully, the three mares and the gelding that would forever hold a special place in his heart. Apollo had been the first horse he'd owned … they'd grown together, learned together, and Neji could feel the peace surrounding the gelding stealing over him; calming his inner turmoil as he approached the fence. The horses looked up when he whistled, but because they were well-trained – each taught to respond to a specific tone and pitch – only Apollo came trotting obediently over to Neji. For a long moment they stood in silence, looking at each other, before the horse dipped his head to delicately take the lump of sugar from Neji's outstretched palm

For the first time in days, Neji felt like smiling.

The horse quickly lost interest when it became apparent that no further treats would be forthcoming and Neji stepped back from the rail when he caught sight of the stable-hands bringing Zeus out to the paddock on a halter-lead. The stallion wasn't giving an inch, fighting them all the way, and Neji smirked in amusement when Zeus' nostrils flared as he caught the scent of the other horses, and was suddenly eager to be pulled into the paddock. He stood for a while, watching Zeus show off to the mares studiously ignoring him as they cropped at the lush grass. It happened so suddenly he was completely unprepared – caught unawares for both the event and the corresponding rush of understanding it brought.

Apollo – who had been at the furthest edge of the paddock paying the others no mind – decided that it was high time he came to investigate the source of the mares' tails flicking in irritation. As soon as the older horse was in range, Zeus rose up onto his hind-legs, thrashing at the air and whinnying threateningly. Apollo paused, confused as to what the other horse was doing, but he quickly retreated to the safety of the fence when Zeus cantered forward; blunt, yellow teeth bared and ready to snap.

It was as if a light-bulb had gone off in Neji's head. Witnessing Zeus' possessiveness cleared the haze from his thoughts behind which the truth had lurked all week, just out of reach.

He was jealous.

Not angry as he'd so often thought in the last few weeks, but jealous.

It was such an alien feeling – never before had Neji had cause to be jealous of anyone or anything – but with Tenten everything had been turned on its head. He hated the thought of anyone touching her, kissing her, making love to her … hated that her attention wasn't focused on him; that she showed no indication of feeling the same turmoil he did. It wasn't fair that she could affect him this way when she showed no signs of feeling anything beyond the sudden, explosive attraction between them. The admission of jealousy was almost cathartic and, as if it had been the signal his other emotions had been waiting for, it all suddenly clicked into place.

Their families' enmity, their constant battles, their cousins … with all the obstacles between them, it was crazy; completely insane to even be contemplating this line of thought but … as Neji watched the horses with unseeing eyes he had to admit, for Tenten it might be worth putting it all on the line. He'd already come so far, given her so much more of himself than he'd ever thought possible that it didn't make any sense not to see this thing through to its conclusion – no matter the outcome.

She was brash, loud, out-of-control for the most part … almost too much for his refined sense of decorum – the inevitable outcome of being raised by Hyuuga Hiashi – but she made him feel alive. She was the only person in his life who'd ever stood up to him; she challenged him to see the world the way she did, to leave behind the prejudices and privileges of his comfort zone; to be free and really _live_.

Neji was the first to admit that he was many things – but the one thing he absolutely refused to be was a coward. He owed his uncle better than this, owed the man everything, but he also owed it to himself to see if there wasn't more to life than duty and obligation. Surely his uncle would eventually understand – would realize that the boy he'd raised as his own couldn't do anything else, precisely _because_ _of_ the way his uncle had shaped him.

No, he was done being unsure and uncertain; mindless clashes in public, and in private, weren't helping him or Tenten. His mouth thinned, determination squaring his jaw – they needed to talk and Tenten would listen whether she wanted to or not.

* * *

Neji didn't think he had ever been at school half an hour earlier than was required in his life. He was a good student but it came easily, without effort, and he'd never had cause to linger after school or to show up before the first bell rang.

That Monday was different.

After the startling rush of clarity, when watching his horses, he'd spent the rest of the weekend carefully plotting exactly what he wanted to say to Tenten because, despite knowing her in the biblical sense, he didn't really _know _her and therefore didn't have her number. He had less than no desire to show up at the Sarutobi residence uninvited, interrupting their weekend, on the off-chance that she would be home.

So, he'd put Zeus through a punishing regime of forceful figure eights while he waited for the weekend to pass. Vague tendrils of guilt wrapped around him as he recalled the reproachful look the young stallion had given him when Neji had finally put the exhausted horse back in his stall with a bag of oats as an apology. It wasn't fair to take his frustration out on the animal, he knew that, but on the other hand, with the breakthrough in his thoughts a corresponding breakthrough in Zeus' training had followed and Neji couldn't really bring himself to regret it.

He took a deep breath, surreptiously, because he didn't want his cousins noticing, and forced himself to look bored despite the curious, if somewhat accusing, glances his cousins kept sending his way. Hanabi grumbled under her breath about being so early that the janitors were still sweeping and, with a final glare, stalked off in the direction of her locker. Hinata hesitated only a moment longer, sending Neji a confused and somewhat concerned look, before she, too, left.

Neji sighed. Clearly his excuse of having forgotten some homework in his locker hadn't fooled anyone; but then, in twelve years of schooling Neji had never forgotten to do anything or been unprepared for a class. He frowned as he locked the car with a click of a button, the beep seeming too loud in the silent morning air, and started off in the direction of the school buildings. He wasn't a good liar, he knew that, but he'd had to get to school early – it was the only way to be sure of catching Tenten before she started her avoidance campaign all over again.

He quickly gathered the books he needed for his first couple of classes from his locker, nose wrinkling slightly from the smell of the detergent the janitors had used to wash the floors. A short while later and he was taking up his vigil, leaning against a bank of lockers just around the corner from Tenten's. She wouldn't be able to see him as she came down the hall and would therefore not be able to avoid him; he didn't put it past her to go an entire day without any books if she thought that he was waiting for her at her locker.

Time passed slowly; the hallway filling up with yawning, groaning teenagers as the day loomed interminably before them. The noise level rose and Neji found, far from irritating him, it was helping him to stay focused. It was becoming crowded in the hallway; a freshman was hovering uncertainly in front of Neji; his still sleepy eyes locked onto the Hyuuga who could only assume that he was leaning against the kid's locker. Either that or the boy considered him a work of art worthy of intense scrutiny but Neji quickly tamped down on that line of thought before the shudder had a chance to skate down his spine. He didn't acknowledge the boy's presence and made no move to get out of the way and the boy appeared too intimidated to try approaching him. A slight smirk pulled at his lips and he couldn't help but wonder if Tenten would give up her avoidance campaign if she saw the plight of the boy; wondered if she would put their personal issues aside to attack him for what he was sure she would label _bullying_.

Suddenly she was there, pushing through the crowd, calling over her shoulder to Sakura and Temari as they each went to their lockers, and he was moving towards her almost before he'd realized it. His heart was pounding – no matter if it was the logical thing to do, no matter how badly they needed to clear the air, it still wouldn't be a particularly pleasant confrontation – and the fluorescents were casting a halo of light onto her shining hair as she laughed at a final comment from Temari. She was wearing a plain pair of jeans, artfully ripped here and there, teamed with a plain black t-shirt, her usual bangles decorating her arms. Her skin gleamed satiny in the shaft of sunlight she was standing in and his fingers clenched involuntarily as he tried to fight the almost irrepressible desire to touch her and see if she was as soft as he remembered. She jumped when he pushed someone out of the way so he could lean against the locker next to hers but she had nowhere to go, not with her locker open and half her books extracted. Chocolate eyes flew to his before she quickly shifted her gaze to the contents of her locker but she couldn't hide the tension in her body or the way her voice hitched in her throat.

"What, Hyuuga?" she asked shortly.

"We need to talk." His gaze fixed unwaveringly on the side of her face, and he wondered if he imagined the faint blush that rose to her cheeks as he spoke. "Meet me behind the library after school."

Before she had a chance to protest – or refuse – he'd pushed away from the locker and disappeared into the crush of people milling around the hallway, silently congratulating himself on having gotten this far successfully and without a fight.

It had to be a good sign, right?

* * *

The day turned out to be utterly interminable. Each class seemed to last a century and no matter how hard he tried to focus on working – if only to get the damn time to pass by quickly – it didn't seem to work. By the time the final bell rang Neji was exhausted. But that balloon-feeling was back and refused to be deflated and he knew that he had no choice, even though he wanted nothing quite as much as he wanted to go home and sleep for a week. So, the moment the final bell rang he was out of the classroom and fighting his way through the crowded hallway in the direction of their meeting place.

There was a small, enclosed courtyard behind the library – home to a gnarled, old oak that spread its branches high above their heads. Tenten was waiting reluctantly beneath it; he could read the reluctance in her posture; the resentment that he was forcing her to do this shimmering around her in a nearly palpable aura. He walked closer slowly, taking a deep breath before drawing to a halt in front of her. For a long moment they simply stared at each other in silence.

Tenten broke first, shifting her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot as she focused on a spot just over his shoulder.

"Well, you wanted me here, Hyuuga. I'm here, so either talk or stop wasting my time."

"Will you listen?" he shot back, surprised by the softness of the tone even though the familiar aggravation was sinking beneath his skin.

Her head jerked around as she fixed him with a furious glare.

He took another step closer, brushing his knuckles carefully, gently, along her cheekbone as if he was soothing an anxious horse, and stared at her earnestly. "I mean, really _listen_, Tenten." His eyes locked on hers as he whispered those words.

She'd frozen in shock at his touch and, as he spoke, confused and anxious brown eyes darted back and forth; almost as if she was trying to figure out his ploy. Finally, she nodded once despite apparent caution.

Neji took a deep breath, suddenly so tired that he could barely keep himself upright; still, he forced himself to fight through the lethargy, to step up and be the man his uncle had taught him to be.

"This … this thing with us," he started slowly, "it's insane. We're too different; we don't even like each other. And that's without taking our families' issues into account."

A short, sharp shake of his head accompanied the words and now he was the one staring at a spot somewhere behind her, though he could feel the way Tenten's eyes were locked onto his face, as if she didn't want to miss a single word.

"But … last week. That doesn't happen often, Tenten." He took another deep breath and tried to force his heartbeat to slow down so he could get through this with at least some of his dignity and composure intact.

"That – that was just sex, Neji…" Tenten's voice broke through the slight pause in his monologue and she pushed on. "It doesn't mean anything. We don't like each other and you're right – we're too different. We slept together but chemistry doesn't always go with compatibility or liking. Don't read so much into something that doesn't matter." She shook her head.

"You're the expert," he returned, voice heavy with irony. "I really couldn't offer an opinion on whether chemistry's always like that or not. And, while I may not be the expert you are in all matters sexual, I do know that what we did … it wasn't just sex. So you can go on lying to yourself but deep down you know I'm right."

Confusion darkened her eyes to near obsidian as she stared at him, mouth slightly open in shock. She shook her head a couple of times as if trying to dispel the confusion, like a kitten that had run into a sliding door.

"Wait," she cleared her throat and tried again, "are you implying what I _think_ you're implying?"

Neji closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Of _course_ the infuriating girl would latch onto the least important part of his statement …

"You were a virgin?" she whispered, sounding more confused than ever.

"So?" He shrugged. "I'd never actually had sex with anyone before last Saturday, no, but that didn't mean I'd never touched a girl before – you can stop trying to figure out how you missed that fact. It's not important; the point is—″

"Why _me_?" she breathed, looking like a bird ready to bolt from a cage.

He couldn't understand why she would be so astonished and looking ready to run about something as inconsequential as his virginity, but her question gave him the opening he needed.

"If you would just listen, Sarutobi, then I could tell you why because that's sort of the point I'm trying to make; only you keep interrupting!

"I've never slept with anyone before because it isn't just about feeling good – other things matter, too. There has to be a deeper connection or it's really just jerking off with someone else." He paused for a moment, wincing slightly at his vulgarity but unable to stop now the words had started to pour from him.

"_That's_ the point, Tenten. There _is _something here and I'm done lying about it; pretending it doesn't exist only to bite each other's heads off in public when we can't keep our hands to ourselves in private. I don't know what this is yet, but I think that it could be important. And I think it's important that we at least try to see what this could be. We ... It felt right, even if our situation is totally wrong."

Somehow, without his permission, his hands rose, taking hers and twining their fingers together as if that would bring the point home to her.

For a long moment she simply stared at their entwined hands before she yanked them violently out of his hold. Dark eyes met his, shining with fury and tears as she looked at him. There was anger, but there was also a wisp of something else… fear?

"No," she whispered.

"I'm sorry?"

She shook her head, closed her eyes, and then met his again. "You're asking me for something I can't—I won't—I _refuse_ to give you, Hyuuga. What we did? What we have? It's nothing magical; it's just two people pissed off at each other who happen to have a lot of amazing chemistry.

"Nothing more." With that, she turned and began walking away.

He stared at her back, hard. "Then why do you keep running from me? If it's nothing, Sarutobi." Perhaps it was weakness to grasp at straws, but he couldn't stop himself.

She stopped, but she didn't turn around. "I'm tired of fighting. Take that for what it is… I don't care." And then she resumed her stride.

"You're being a coward," he called out, unable to keep the anger out of his voice.

But… she didn't answer. She just kept walking. And somehow, that hurt more than any insult she'd ever thrown at him…

Instinctively Neji wanted to run after her; to shout back, to fight until she gave in, because no matter what her words told him he had clearly been able to see the fear – real and deep – shining from her wet eyes. He'd recognized it almost instinctively; embedded as it was in every tense line of her body. He knew how she felt because he felt that way, too. He hated feeling this way about her – unsettled and uneasy, out of control and dizzy – and he hadn't been any happier with the prospect of any kind of commitment than she appeared to be. The difference was – he wasn't too afraid to admit it; to face it head on; to try and find some way of making it work because he knew deep down that this feeling wasn't going away.

Whatever Tenten said, he knew she didn't really believe it.

But anger was there, too – rapidly boiling through his veins. He wasn't used to being denied. The anger that had gathered in a burning ball in the pit of his stomach wouldn't allow him to feel anything for Tenten but contempt.

She was being a coward and that was the one thing that he wasn't sure he'd be able to forgive her for.

* * *

"You coming?"

Dark orbs glanced up from the book in Sasuke's hand. He arched a brow at the brunette over the pages. Presently, he was sitting astride his bike; it was parked right next to her car. A moment passed as he eyed her curiously. Then as if coming to some grand conclusion, he snapped his book shut and licked his hooped lips. "Not today. I've got some shit to do."

"Like?"

His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. "Something you wanna talk about?"

She hesitated and then shook her head. She looked everywhere but him before she let out a long sigh. "No, I'll just head home. I've got homework to do, anyway. Just call me later if you wanna get some coffee or something."

He nodded as he stuffed his book into his jacket and then reached for his helmet; the object hung between the tips of his fingers as he watched her get into her car. He made a show of slowly putting it on and falsely having some trouble with the strap as she started her car. He pulled the kickstand up on the bike and started it just as she drove off and out of the parking lot. He waited a moment longer before revving it once and driving away himself… but not out of the parking lot. He wandered to a darker, shadier, area of the school before he parked again, kept his gaze on a specific car still remaining… and waited.

A good fifteen minutes passed by and he wondered if he should just get his book out and read again. However, just when he reached to unclip his helmet… his target walked by. He watched intently as the brunette, looking more broody that usual with his two cousins, got into his three-figure car—one Sasuke could admire, truthfully—and started to leave.

With a smile, he waited to give some distance, and then followed.

* * *

Muted conversation passed over and rolled throughout the café; it barely registered from where he sat in the corner, quietly alone and away from anyone else. He stared down at his half-finished plate of pasta and pesto, trying to ignore the way his appetite waned. But, he just wasn't in the mood to eat; he wasn't much in the way of a good mood for anyone to be present in.

He'd dropped Hinata and Hanabi off at home rather dutifully and told them he'd be home late. His uncle still hadn't returned from his trip from last week, so there was no real need to be present at dinner. In fact, the girls would probably end up eating in their rooms.

He was angry; internally, he felt aflame with it. The same fire he saw rippling in Tenten's eyes reflected in his own being. He just didn't understand it.

Why? Why wouldn't she _want_ to give it a chance?

He knew that whatever held their families at bay had no effect on her, or she wouldn't be alright with Konohamaru seeing Hanabi. That was something he would have to deal with soon… he could only go on so long keeping that knowledge from his uncle. Unfortunately for Hanabi, she was just a freshman; there were many things his uncle could get away with to stop that relationship. Neji was graduating next year, as was Tenten; he could fend off his uncle's rage. But Hanabi… He'd have to worry about it later, but he couldn't forget about it. Left alone it could really start and all-out war between the Sarutobis and the Hyuugas.

He sighed; what did it matter? At least to her. She'd given up before it'd gotten anywhere. Was it wise to bother at all anymore? His heart seized him; his ego did. Both told him yes. That part of Neji she seemed to stoke out of him—that passion he hid carefully—it said _yes_.

He felt his jaw tighten. How could he forgive that cowardice? Did he fear his uncle? Yes, but he was willing to fight the old man over it. Because he cared about her; he knew it could be more. Did he not mean as much to her?

"Here's your check."

Neji blinked out of his reverie and looked up at the waitress just before she slipped away to tend to someone else. He took the receipt and glanced at the amount before placing a twenty on the table. A second or so later and he was up and off in the direction of the back entrance where he'd parked. The keys jingled in his palm as he pulled them from his pocket. A sigh escaped as he picked through them for the little keypad that unlocked the doors. The beep echoed in his ears and he plucked the key out just as he came up to the driver's side.

He reached for the handle and began to tug, but hesitated. Something pricked at his senses; it wasn't all that different from trying to sense just what to expect from a tense horse. He narrowed his eyes as it danced down his spine and caused his hair to stand a little on end. Something…

His hand dropped from the handle and he turned in one swift motion on his heel. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it hadn't been Sasuke invading his personal space in such a way that had him jumping out of his skin and pressing his back up against his car. He was a little speechless as the darker-haired male struck his hand onto his car just to the left of his face as he smirked.

"You really do look like a damned girl, you know that?"

"…What?" He wouldn't say he was afraid—far from it. Just shocked. What was he…

Sasuke leaned in closer, barely brushing Neji's chest with his own as he locked those darker hues on his paler ones—like a hawk stalking his prey. "You never did give me an answer at that party last week." There came a flicker of something mischievous in his eyes. "You know," he murmured, "'how 'bout it'?"

The closeness was ignored as Neji tried to process his question. Last week at the party… Wait. His jaw flexed and he shoved Sasuke away, nostrils flaring. "Are you _seriously_ hitting on me?" he snapped, cheeks reddening out of a combination of anger, embarrassment, and that he hadn't realized it sooner.

He was laughing then, chuckling at Neji's expense. "You know, you really do have a stick up your ass. I'm _fucking_ with you. Had to break the ice before it got serious." He placed his hands on his hips and raised a brow at him. "Besides, you're more Ten's flavour than mine, to be honest."

At that, Neji wasn't sure if Sasuke was implying that he was actually bi or not… He narrowed his eyes and then shook his head, figuring that wasn't the point. "What do you want?" the long-haired boy bit off, not really in the mood to deal with Ten's lapdog in leather.

"You and I need to talk."

Neji rolled his eyes despite the stone-serious expression that overcame Sasuke. "And why would I do that? In case you haven't noticed, I'm not very fond of you."

Sasuke's lips formed the barest hint of a frown; he crossed his arms over his chest just as he levelled a penetrating look at Neji. "Because this has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with Ten." He paused and when Neji moved to speak again he started once more, stopping him short. "Listen here, Hyuuga, you're pissed off at her. I get it. But you don't know a damn thing about her, not before she came here. You wanna know why she ran off and left you broken at the school? Then let me give you some insight."

"She told you?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, she doesn't tell me everything." He shook his head. "No, she didn't. You did just now; confirming what I'd figured had happened.

"What'll it be, Hyuuga? Do you want to find out why?"

What did he have to lose? His uncle was out of town, so he didn't have a curfew tonight. His schoolwork was caught up, not that it would really stop him. And really, he wanted to know. "Fine. Talk."

Sasuke shook his head again. "Not here. You drive and I'll tell you where. Then I'll tell you a story." Before he could reply Sasuke had rounded on his car and got into the passenger side, shutting the door with a click.

Neji hesitated only a moment before resigning himself and getting in. He slid the key into the ignition, rumbling the engine to a start.

"Care if I smoke?"

Neji glared at him. "Yes, I do." He put the car in reverse and pulled out of the spot.

Sasuke shrugged as he put the cigarette back in the pack and repocketed his lighter. "Just get on the highway from here and go south. You'll be on it for about an hour."

Neji wanted to ask his how long this was going to take, but when he thought about it he really didn't give a damn. True, he wasn't fond of Sasuke; true, he was pissed off at Tenten for running away from it all; however, he wanted to know why. What would make such a strong-willed girl fear commitment to him?

This thought rolled around in his head for the better part of half an hour. Sasuke said nothing unless it was to instruct him on where to turn, if needed. Aside from that, silence swept the car. No one even moved to turn the radio on. The only sound was the hum of white noise that was the air conditioner blaring through the vents.

Eventually though, Neji broke the quiet by asking something he felt he needed to. "…How did you know she turned me down?"

Sasuke smirked, but didn't look at him. "Because… I've known her long enough to know the signs."

"Signs?"

"Yeah, signs," he repeated as he glanced at him. "Body language, the way she talks, plus the way you came out to your car. And the way she came out to hers. I don't need to know a lot about you—just her. And Tenten I could write a book on."

To this Neji said nothing.

Sasuke sighed and kept his gaze on the world outside the passenger seat window. His fingers curled around his chin as he remained in his half-slouched and comfortable position. If Neji would let him get away with it he'd probably be propping his feet up on the dash. "I can't tell you anything else till we get there."

And so, the last twenty-five minutes passed on as the first thirty had. Neither broke the void until Sasuke pointed him to an off-ramp and gave him more instructions; sitting up as he did so. The further they went, the more they turned left or right, and the deeper into the city they got…. The more it began to look like section eight. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good, either. Kids played barefoot in the streets as their mothers sat on unkempt porches in stained clothes; lawns were half dead grass and half mud; streets were dirty with trash; and some buildings were falling apart, while others were just a lost cause waiting to be demolished. Neji had seen it before, but he'd never been right in the middle of it. He'd never had a need to.

"Looking a little confused, Hyuuga?"

Neji's attention jumped to Sasuke at a red light. He frowned. "I'm half-wondering if it's a good idea to park here… anywhere here.

"Why _are_ we here?"

The Uchiha was smirking again. "Your car won't get stolen. We'll be parking in a garage. As for why? Well… we're almost there." He pointed to the second light up ahead. "When you get to that one, take a right. Then it'll be the second set of complexes on the left."

Neji did as he was instructed, still unsure as he eventually pulled into a complex that looked almost, although not nearly, as bad as the rest of the city. He found himself pulling around to the back of the complex and towards a smaller set of buildings that looked like garages.

"Pull to that third two-car one," Sasuke told him as he pointed it out. As they got closer he hit a button on something attached to his keys and the doors started to climb open. "My brother's been working on a car off and on for four or five years. So, he pays the old man who runs the joint to let him keep a space here. Mom parks here too, but she's back where we came from on business.

"So, we'll use it," he explained as Neji pulled in next to a red muscle car. He shut it off, locked it up as Sasuke got out, and then went outside. He waited as Sasuke came out and closed it up.

"Come on."

Neji was tempted to again ask _why_ they were here, but stopped short. He had patience. He did. He'd just been losing it lately because of a certain brown-haired girl. Instead of arguing further, he continued to follow someone he still wasn't entirely sure where he stood with. In all truth, he knew next to nothing about Sasuke, not even his last name. Most of what he did know just made him aggravated or mad—mostly because of Tenten.

They wound around corner and moved up a set of stairs to the second floor… and then down a hall. He watched Sasuke give a sigh as he stopped in front of a door.

He looked over at Neji. "You asked me earlier why we were here." He allowed for a pregnant pause as he placed his hands on his hips. "This is where Tenten grew up, where I grew up."

Neji blinked, a little stunned as he glanced around at the ramshackle complex; recalled the city and its conditions.

"…I'm not sure I…" He'd always heard the others calling her a hood-rat, but he just always sort of assumed it was a preference for Tenten. He never really imagined she'd grown up some place like this.

"Hard to believe?"

"…Not entirely. She doesn't exactly act like…"

Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes. "Like your bitch of a friend Ino or that red-head Karin? Yeah, I know about you guys. More than you know about Ten, or me. I know your type, too."

Neji's eyes narrowed considerably.

Sasuke smirked. "I also know there's hope for you, stiff shirt. Now, are you gonna glare, or do you want the story?"

Neji's only response was to stare.

Sasuke looked back at the door in front of him, chipping paint and bearing dents… some he could still recall the reason they got there. He frowned for a moment and looked up toward the ceiling as he dug his hands into his pockets.

"I met Ten when I was about… well, when we were both about eight. I'd seen her around the complex a few times, but she was always with her mom. She didn't play with other kids. Her mother wasn't the type to schedule play dates or have her interact with other kids. And up until then, she really didn't wander off on her own…" He paused and lowered his gaze to a comfortable level on the door. However, he wasn't looking at it; he was thinking back…. Seeing things he'd probably remember all his life. "One night my mother asked me to go get the mail because she'd forgotten it and my brother couldn't because he was in the shower. So, I went downstairs, got it, and then came back up… only to find a small girl curled up in a ball on the floor with her back to the wall and her face in her knees. I stopped and stared at her for a while. She didn't look up right away; I didn't say anything, but I waited—curious…

"And that's when I hear the screaming and something breaking. She jumped and looked up, only then realizing I was there. We didn't say anything, didn't need to. A minute passed as the yelling, screaming, crashing, came from inside her place. Eventually, I turned away and went to my door." He glanced over at another door just down the hall on the left. "I looked back at her and asked her if she was coming. Took her a second, but she did." Sasuke looked over at Neji. His face was impassive, but his eyes carried a heap of empathy—for Tenten. "Come on," he muttered, reaching into his pocket to pull some keys.

Neji wasn't certain what to say… Her parents argued? Were abusive? To Tenten?

A key slid into the door, clicked, and Sasuke opened it and stepped inside; he fully expected Neji to follow.

No lights were on and Sasuke didn't turn any on. But, light shone through and illuminated the room from several windows along the other side of the living room. It wasn't large; the kitchen and living room were not separated, and there were three doors along the left wall. But, Neji didn't really care much about that as they stopped in the fully-furnished living room. No, his eyes narrowed at the smell; it was faint, but there. The room felt oppressive, even if only slightly.

"Her grandfather owns it, but my mother keeps an eye on it. Technically, it's Tenten's… but, she hasn't been in it, hasn't touched it, since she moved out."

Neji just stared at him. "I'm not really sure what you're trying to tell me. What? Were her parents abusive? To her?"

Sasuke chuckled and turned around to face him. "I guess I need to go back further and just spell it out for you. That's probably my fault; you're not stupid. So, here goes.

"Tenten's grandfather had a few kids with her grandmother. Asuma is Tenten's uncle. There are a few others, but I've never met them. Tenten's mother, Azami, was the youngest. The old man loved her, doted on her, because his wife died giving birth to her and he nearly lost her on top of it. Well," he went on, "when she was about sixteen she fell for a guy. Bad, from what I know. He was an alcoholic, into drugs, and liked causing trouble. She fought back and forth with the old man to stay with him, even though he didn't approve. It broke his heart when she finally left and married the guy." Sasuke sighed and looked down. "Sarutobi didn't want his daughter in the streets, so, he bought her this place when she got pregnant. He wanted Ten to have a decent life, or at least the best he thought he could give her, all things considered." Sasuke's jaw tightened. "He didn't know about the abuse though; didn't know her mom and her dad were always at it, doped up on drugs, needles, and God only knew what else. It wasn't just him; Azami beat on him, too." Sasuke met Neji's eyes again as his hands rested on his hips. "Ten hid from it, ran from it. That's how I found her in the hall that night, crying her eyes out. My family became her safe house; my mother never asked any questions that night because she _knew_ what went on in here."

"Why didn't anyone call the cops?" Neji snapped, genuine anger fighting its way back up.

Sasuke chuckled bitterly. "Because nothing could be done about it. Tenten was never abused; the police never had probable cause to go in the apartment by the time they got here, and for the most part? The cops don't give a damn around here, Hyuuga. Do you know often this shit happens on and off these streets on a daily basis? You think Ten is special? She's the only one?

"News flash, buddy. My dad beat on my mom for the first few years of their marriage. And he came from _money_. She left him, took me and Itachi and hauled off away. She had enough evidence to keep us away from him when she was dragged into court. But, that's just one case. Not everyone gets help because not everyone _gives a damn_."

Again, Neji said nothing.

Sasuke grimaced. "Look, I'm sorry the world isn't as simple as you think it should be. But, the fact that it bothers you is good. It means you care; it means you care about Ten." He stopped again and stared around the room. "Anyway… It was like that for a long time. Ten spent most of her days with me, not that anyone cared; her mom was more than happy to not have her nagging at her why she was on another kick…

"But, a few days after we both started high school it happened. She came up to my place and dropped off her stuff before she went over to hers to get a few things for the night—like she always did. She was happy that day; I still don't remember why… honestly. But, I remember she was because I remember how different she looked _after_ she found them."

"Who?" Neji asked when Sasuke was quiet, looking strained. He nearly jumped as the darker-haired male met his gaze, more emotion than he'd ever seen in a person residing there…echoing and demanding empathy. It was anguish.

"Her parents…. They'd both beaten each other pretty bad. The police came in and when the autopsies came back we found out Ten's dad beat her mother to death—finally. Then, he overdosed and killed himself—probably because it hurt too damn much. Despite the fact that they hurt each so badly… they did love each other.

"It broke her in pieces. She loved her parents, even through all the pain they caused her.

"I used to ask Ten why she never called her grandfather and told him the truth the whole time it was going on; I asked her again that night when the cops told her they'd be calling the old man for her. She told me," he started, looking straight at him, "that she always thought they'd figure it out, it'd get better. Love always found a way, she'd told me." Sasuke shook his head and stared out the window to his left across the living space. "She stopped believing it that night."

Neji was quiet as it settled over him, all of it. He couldn't really process it; it hurt to imagine someone he cared about so deeply had gone through so much. In a way, he could understand, even if it wasn't quite the same. He understood that feeling of being unable to stop something you wanted to stop so badly.

"Why are you telling me this?" he managed to ask Sasuke, voice not quite as angry as before.

"One, because I know she won't tell you herself. She's an impenetrable force. Two, because I believe you can actually get through to her; in fact, I believe you love her. And love isn't something to fuck with once you find it. What you may have, Hyuuga? It's real. More real than what her parents had. And three?" He turned around to face Neji, looking at him fully. His eyes narrowed only slightly. "Ten doesn't want commitment; she won't tell you that—ever. She refuses to become what her mother did, slave to an emotion she couldn't walk away from. That's just how she sees it. It's why she sleeps around without getting tangled up.

"She's too afraid of repeating that past. That's why she ran from you today."

Neji heard it all, it settled over him much like the rest of what Sasuke told him did; however, there was still one question left to ask. "And you're not in love with her?"

It didn't seem to catch him off guard. It was almost like Sasuke expected it to come up. "I was wondering when we'd get this part out of the way," he replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Ten and I have been friends for as long as it matters. We're _best_ friends and that won't change. She was my first kiss, I was her first lover. We shared a lot and held onto each other when we needed to. Do I love her? Yes. Like a sister? No, you don't sleep with your fuckin' sister. Can I give you something to compare it to? Not really. Ten and I just are, but we're not a couple and never will be.

"Why? ... I don't know. We just like what we have and we're happy with it. We've always been happy with it. Now, do you honestly think if I wanted the girl for myself I'd be helping you?"

Neji had to admit Sasuke had that right. For whatever reason he couldn't quite pin Sasuke as the guy to cause this much BS just for the hell of it. And he couldn't imagine Tenten being friends with someone who would either. So, he let it go and nodded.

"Now, do you want my help?"

* * *

**Blade AN :: Sorry this took so damned long. Again, it's my fault. I had a lot going on over summer, for Dragon*con this year, and for college when it started up in August. I love you guys and hope you enjoyed the update.**

_**Noki-chan a/n: Sorry! Hopefully it was worth the wait ^^ Please let us know what you thought . And thank you so much for all the patience and support!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Right Kind of Wrong**_

* * *

_By:  
Blade Redwind  
and  
Nokito-chan_

* * *

**Warning: This fic is rated M, so please be aware of that and turn back if instances of profanity and sexual situations are abhorrent to you.**

**Disclaimer: Neither Blade Redwind nor Nokito-chan in any way own Naruto or its affiliated characters.**

* * *

_Know all about,  
About your reputation  
And how it's bound to be a heartbreak situation  
But I can't help it if I'm helpless  
Every time I'm where you are  
You walk in and my strength walks out the door  
Say my name and I can't fight it anymore  
I know I should go  
But I need your touch just too damn much  
Loving you, isn't really something I should do  
I shouldn't want to spend my time with you  
I should try to be strong  
But, baby,  
You're the right kind of wrong_

_-The Right Kind of Wrong  
by LeAnn Rimes_

* * *

_**Chapter 9**_

Light drifted dimly through her window, beyond the lace curtains. It danced designs across the soft pinks, pastels; the girlish dungeon that came together to be her room. She stared upward, beyond the canopy that matched her window dressings, and towards the flat, white ceiling. Her bangs were a mess across her forehead; sweat had transferred from her palms as she'd worried it and now the strands were a little damp.

Her eyes, hazel-chocolate, were distant; she wasn't in her room, but somewhere else. The past reflected there, hanging on the edge of her subconscious as she submerged into it and left her body.

Her lips were parted, faintly pink and a little chapped from the dry air in the house. She hadn't moved for a few hours, not since she'd gotten home from school. She didn't want to; she couldn't find the _want_ to. It's not that she couldn't, she just sort of refused to.

She swallowed.

In her mind she could see those pleading opaque hues; they stared straight into hers as his voice faded into the background… like in some old film. She could feel his hand, his caress, on her face. But then, at the same time, she could faintly see the bruise on her mother's cheek and her father's back; she could see broken glass and then hear the angry cries—the accusations.

She shut her eyes; the corners strained with impressions from the strength of it as she rolled over on the bed and curled into herself, coiling painfully in a way that made every bend in her skin white.

She wasn't strong enough. Her mother hadn't been.

Their life would be hell, she knew; any committed life had the possibility of being. And she just didn't have the strength to walk away. She never would have; there was too much of her parents in her. She couldn't; she wouldn't. She couldn't chance it. Not because of…

No. _Stop it. It's not true. You don't _feel_ that way._

She exhaled slowly and let it go; how she tried to.

She had to let go of this stupid infatuation. That's all it was; she had to let it go before it consumed her and ruined her completely. She couldn't break; she refused to. It was just sex; just sex.

Her mouth opened, releasing a broken, choked, breathy cry only she could hear.

Sasuke had been right. He'd been so right. Sleeping with Neji had been the worst mistake she'd ever made. Why did it turn out like this? Why had she done it to herself?

She hated thinking about it; she didn't want to think about it. But nothing really helped. Even before their talk she'd been distracted all weekend. At school she'd been entirely out of it. Briefly, she wondered if every day was going to be like this now; would it ebb, or would she go on feeling this way in some small part for the rest of her life?

God, it hurt.

That pushing against her heart as her fear pushed back. Go, take the dive; let go, one part said. Stop, it's too much; you made a promise to yourself—don't fall in love. Never fall in love. Love only leads you down a broken road; it breaks your spirit, your mind, and your freedom; it chains your wings until they snap and you can't fly anymore. One bad guy, one bad love, and you can't walk away. And even if you manage to? That's it. You'll never quite fly like you used to.

_Careful, don't make a mistake. You'll regret it._

But what if it wasn't? What if this… _thing_… with Neji could be as beautiful as it was right now always? What if it wasn't a mistake? What if they could be just as passionate, powerful, and amazing as they were right now forever?

Was it worth the what if?

_No!_ her memories shouted. And then the good ones, the ones that involved his eyes, his smile, his gentle touch, his playful smirk, and his bashful denial said _YES_.

"_We used to be so good together! Don't you remember? How great it was?" her mother's voice shouted in her mind to her father._

"_Yeah, and then you got pregnant and we got married," she heard her father's voice._

_And then came the cries, the tears, the shouts, and the broken glass…._

"Shut up," she whispered, hands clamping over her ears.

"_Don't you love me anymore?" her mother whispered in question, broken tears in her voice._

_But her father never responded._

"Shut up."

"_I gave it all up for you. My great life. Why did I do that?" her mother would finally snap._

"_If you love it so much then go back to it! I was never good enough for you anyway!"_

"_I can't believe I gave it up for this!"_

"SHUT UP!"

Somehow, that destroyed the fog. The voices, the images, the smells… it all left and she was right back on her bed… not hidden in some closet in that tiny apartment long ago. She was staring through the window, to the fluttering tree branches just outside.

_Tap. Tap. Tap._

She jumped, gasping a little as her hand flew to her chest. Her eyes shifted in rapid confusion before it dawned on her that someone was knocking on her door. She reached up, hastily wiped her eyes and fixed her bed hair. A quick look at her reflection on her phone made her feel a little better. She didn't look like she'd just had a nervous breakdown; not quite.

"Come in," she called out just after clearing her throat.

She was a little surprised when it wasn't her uncle—Konohamaru would have just barged in if it wasn't locked—but her grandfather. She blinked a few times before trying to put on her best smile.

He smiled back, making his whole face crinkle up. Age lines shifted into place instantly, giving him an appearance she would always remember him by; always.

"Been out on business?" she asked, noting he was in a suit today.

He looked down, patting the outfit. "Sorta. I met with an old friend for lunch earlier. Haven't been bothered to change yet."

She chuckled as she shifted back to sit cross-legged on the bed, back to her pillows and the headboard. "I like you better in the Hugh Hefner robe. Makes you look distinguished, like that guy on the old PBS show."

It was his turn to chuckle. "I think I spend too much time at home in my pyjamas if that's the image you have of me, granddaughter."

She shrugged, still smiling slightly.

"Care if I sit?"

"You need to chat?"

"A little. Just need to ask you about tomorrow night."

"Oh?" Now she was a confused. _Tomorrow night_…?

He blinked. "The Fall Fundraiser, girl."

She smacked a hand onto her cheek, mouth agape. How had she forgotten? She always went to the huge charity event. Every year. It was organized so that the hobnobs in the area could donate buttloads of money to charities for the inner city families and kids. Food banks, clothing donation centers, etc. It helped tide people over between foodstamps. Without it, many families wouldn't make it through Christmas. A lot of parents got toys for their kids at some of the centers because of the auction that went on.

"I'm surprised you forgot." He narrowed his eyes at her, scrutinizing in that way that was simply Hiruzen Sarutobi. That gaze penetrated her and her insides jumped worriedly.

She put on a smile, nervous as it was. "Me too. I guess I've been preoccupied lately."

He stared as her a while, not saying anything. His jaw moved about a little and a minute passed, perhaps. She tried thinking of something else to say, but failed completely when he finally spoke again. "You've been holed up in this room all weekend, the party Friday night withstanding. Even today you came home and escaped. I assumed you were doing homework, or a project… but, that's not it, is it?"

Tenten sighed, but refused to look lost or defeated. She couldn't tell him; she wasn't sure she ever could. He'd try to solve it somehow, or make it worse. And she didn't need that. So, instead she came up with the best excuse she could manage.

"School's gonna be out before long, and I guess I'm a little worried about what to do when _next_ year is over; I'm still a junior… but…." In all honesty, she was a little worried; it wasn't a total lie. "Temari has lacrosse, Sakura's going to med school, and I'm not sure what I'm doing.

"I feel like I _should_ be."

"That is a gross miscalculation on my part, my dear," he said with a little surprise in his voice before rubbing his chin and looking down. "I suppose I should have talked to you about this sooner.

"Although, it is an easily remedied problem." He smiled brightly and patted her leg. "We can talk about it the day after tomorrow. I'll make some time for you and we can try to sort something out. At the very least, you can come up with some good options for what you think you _might_ want to do.

"Would that be alright?"

She tried to look relieved and nodded, forcing a bright smile that almost made her eyes close. "Thank you, Grandfather."

"You're welcome." He stood up. "Do make sure you have a dress picked by tomorrow. I'll leave the credit card in the drawer by the door for you."

She bobbed a nod just before he closed the door behind him. Once it clicked into place she let out another sigh, this time in gratitude.

While she couldn't say she was in the mood to shop for dresses… maybe it would get her mind off her problems, regrets…

_I'm not sighing again_.

She bounced off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and grabbed the car keys. In the hallway she found Sasuke heading her way. She tried to put on the same chipper disposition she'd laid on her grandfather. "Hey."

"Yo, where you off to, Kitten?"

"Dress shopping. Fall Fundraiser is tomorrow night. Wanna be my date? Maybe help me pick a dress? Temari and Sakura should be there. Well, all the money bags will be." This time she grinned in earnest.

He opened his mouth to say something and then snapped it shut. "Actually… I have something to do. You gonna be okay without me?"

She shrugged. "I'll recover."

He chuckled, gave her a peck on the cheek and then smacked her ass as he walked by. "Then I'll see you after for a horror movie marathon?"

"Sure, just nothing with Paris Hilton. I don't need to see her tits again."

"Deal."

Without much else, she gave a shrug and walked on. But, faintly, it tickled the back of her brain… what did Sasuke have to do if he wasn't hanging out with her? Meh, probably something with his mom he couldn't talk about.

Oh well. She'd just have to call Temari and Sakura to come with.

* * *

Neji stared at the numbers; they scrawled over the pages, blurring a little. He blinked, rubbed his eyes, let out a breath, and dropped his pencil. It clattered on the wooden desk, finally just rolling onto the floor. He didn't bother picking it up as he sat back.

He looked out the window to his left; the sun was just starting to tip beyond the treeline. Evening would be setting in soon. Likely, he'd have dinner upstairs with his uncle still out of town until tomorrow morning. It wouldn't be like Hinata and Hanabi to dine downstairs without him. The siblings rarely ate at the table unless he was home; there wasn't much point in attending to a charade for the household.

In either case, he didn't feel up to them.

He was restless and needed to move, but wasn't in the mood to drag the horses out this late in the day. A drive might be nice, but he wasn't sure he was up for that much effort. No, honestly, he hated waiting; and right now he was trusting Sasuke Uchiha to come up with something suitable in regard to confronting Tenten.

His stomach grumbled, mimicking the irritation at the lack of something in his mind

Ah well, might as well go for a hunt in the kitchen, maybe make a sandwich.

He stood up, slipped out of his room, and headed for the stairs. He wasn't sure how long he could wait on Sasuke; perhaps a week at most. He was patient to a point; although, that limit was severely lacking when it came to Tenten. Time wasn't in their favour; his uncle would find out eventually. The sooner they figured something out the better. What's more, he still had to figure out what to do about Hanabi and Konohamaru. He imagined if this all got worked out with him and Ten the rest of that mess would fall into place.

He should probably still speak to Hanabi about it though. Tell her to keep her head low when Hiashi arrived back tomorrow. The last thing he needed was to have the spotlight on her and then have it returned to him once the jig was up. Hiashi would be livid and Neji wanted to be as prepared as possible. As the oldest son he would face the brunt of his uncle's anger; there was no way around that.

The fridge light filled the dark space; it reflected off the stainless steel appliances as he pondered what to grab… There were some leftovers from yesterday and he took the plate, inspecting it before deciding it would work.

"Excuse me, Master Hyuuga."

Neji turned around as the room lit up. His brow was raised at the old footman; the only person who ever called him Master. The man had been around when his grandfather was a boy—supposedly. Neji had tried long ago to get him to stop it, but the first time he'd asked him to, the poor guy looked like he was going to have a heart attack and Neji had given up immediately.

"Yes?"

"You have a visitor at the door. A young Sasuke Uchiha who says he needs to speak with you straight away."

Neji blinked. _Oh god… he came to the house!?_ Fuck. He could just see this going well once his uncle got home. He could just imagine the old coot telling Hiashi all about the delinquent on their doorstep. His uncle would start sniffing like a bloodhound.

Carefully, he set down the plate and tried to hide his drastic swallow. "Thank you. I'll deal with him by myself." He didn't wait for a response from the geezer as he flew to the front door, practically ripping it off its hinges before he stepped outside and shut it quickly.

"What are you think…" he trailed off, a little transfixed at the Uchiha in front of him: no jewellery, no black leather, no weird eyeliner. Instead, he stood in a simple polo and jeans with dark-colored sneakers.

"Surprised?" Sasuke smirked. "You busy? I need to borrow you."

"What are you _wearing_?" Neji asked, unable to stop himself.

Sasuke shrugged. "Didn't want to risk your uncle seeing me in my usual digs. I had to make this fast. We don't really have time to idle about. You're lucky my snake bites come out like a charm; face piercings are usually a pain." He raised a brow, blank stare in place. "You gonna hurry it up?"

Neji blinked out of his stupor. "You're changing back, right?"

"Horrified?"

"A little."

"You didn't have to look at it in the mirror. Yes, I'll change. Now hurry up, princess."

Normally Neji would have argued about the nickname, but he let it go in lieu of whatever plan or opportunity Sasuke had in mind. He rushed back into the house, told the footman he'd be gone for a while, and gathered his things before going back out.

"We're taking my car. I need a smoke."

The two small sentences' connection was not lost on Neji. While he didn't like the smell of smoke too much, he didn't have any interest in pulling his car out of the garage. The gate shut behind them automatically as they stepped out into the street.

"Is that your brother's car?" Neji pointed to the little red Corvette.

"Yeah, he's in town for a little while with mom. Let me borrow it. I didn't think you'd want to ride bitch on the bike."

Neji frowned when Sasuke winked at him, but he'd already slid into the car. Neji got in on the passenger side. "Okay, rule number one: quit pretend-hitting on me."

"Who says I'm pretending?"

"It stops now."

Sasuke just shrugged, eyes on the road as he pulled off the curb.

"Where are we going and what do you have to tell me?"

"You bring your wallet with you?"

"…. Why?"

"Because, I'm going suit shopping. Didn't know if you needed one too, but I don't have the cash or the inclination to pay for both of us."

Neji sighed. "What's going on? I thought you—."

"Sorry. I'm not usually much of a talker." Sasuke shrugged again. "Ten and her grandfather, probably Asuma and her cousin are going to the Fall Fundraiser tomorrow night. You're going with your family, right?"

Neji had actually forgotten all about it because of everything going on with Tenten. No, this was probably a good thing. He didn't have a suit yet. Nothing new. And his uncle would have been overwrought if he didn't have a new one to wear in front of so many people who saw them on a regular basis at events.

"What does this have to do with Tenten though?"

"She's going."

"And? She _goes_ to school every day."

Sasuke sighed. "You need to get her to talk to you. You need to convince her. You can't do that at school where people are used to her being an ass to you. No one cares; especially Ten. But this event is a formal thing, princess. She'll have to behave and she wouldn't dare embarrass her grandfather.

"Getting her to dance with you is easy enough. Just cut in when I take her on the floor; she's already asked me to go with her and won't be expecting it from me.

"Then, you can talk. But, that's all on you. So, you've got till tomorrow night to think of the right words."

Neji absorbed all the information. He had to admit, it wasn't the most intricate plan, but it might work. The real problem was getting her to talk to him, he supposed. The other half was convincing her. He was a little surprised at how easy it was to agree with Sasuke on it all.

Take away the leather and dirty-devil attitude and he and Sasuke could likely become friends. He stared at the darker-haired male a moment and then shook his head.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just didn't think we'd get along beyond tolerance; however, I'm finding that's not the case at all."

Sasuke chuckled. "It's different when you just let it go, huh?"

"Let what go?"

"All the bullshit your family and peers wrap you in. You can't sit straight all the time, Hyuuga. Sometimes you have to relax. _A falsis principiis proficisci_; to set forth from false principles, my friend."

"You know Latin?"

Sasuke scowled and pulled a smoke from the pack between his legs. He set it between his lips, leaned forward on the wheel while he drove, and lit it while he spoke, "See, that's your problem. You've been bred to only see what's on the outside." Partway through he sat back and exhaled a cloud of misty-white. "And that's part of the reason you like Ten so much. She shakes the cage you've been suffocated in. She forces you to take that tie out of your hair and let it down.

"You're not use to being carefree even for a moment."

"I already knew that."

"You wanna hint on having fun?"

"Why not," Neji sighed out. Apparently today was the day for turning his world on its head. Because he could not imagine ever going suit shopping with someone like Sasuke, or someone he used to think Sasuke was.

"First, quit worrying about the rules and start worrying about the consequences. Judge what's right for yourself and your own sense of integrity. Fuck the rest of them.

"Two? If you actually manage to convince Ten tonight, do something reckless. Like slip out of the party halfway through the night and let's go somewhere and do something you've never done before."

Neji's brain automatically went to what Hiashi would think; it was like an in-grown mechanism ingrained into his skull from the moment he'd moved into that house. But, he shut it off and thought about what Sasuke said.

"Did you have anything in mind?"

Sasuke smiled around his cigarette. "Well, as far as Ten goes, it's usually easy—if that's what you're asking. There are a few events tonight. I'll tell you about them while we get suits.

"Remind me to tell you how much I hate penguin jumpers."

* * *

Another day went by in a haze, just like the last one. One minute she was listening to a lecture in first and the next it was the final period of the day. She wasn't quite sure what she'd even had for lunch, which was a little disquieting.

"Am I picking you up?"

A voice said from her right, interrupting her thoughts as she loaded and unloaded into her locker. She blinked at Sasuke and it took her a moment to realize that he was talking about tonight's event. "All of us on the bike?"

He rolled his eyes. "No. Itachi let me borrow the car."

"Ah…" She nodded as she shut her locker door. "Well, I think I'm going with the family. You don't want to ride with us?"

He shook his head. "No, just wanted to make sure you were covered."

"Oh… okay." She raised a brow at him as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "Why, is something up?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"If you say so." She let it go, shrugging. Sasuke had his secrets, like anyone else. For all she knew he could have a date with someone before the fundraiser. "Just make sure you're not late."

"I know. See ya, Kitten." And then he was gone, leaving her a little bereft and a little curious.

She decided to let it go as she shut her locker and moved down the hall. The door slammed heavily shut on its own behind her. The parking lot was practically empty, but there were still a few students talking until the crowd of vehicles departed and made it easier to leave. She pondered doing the same as she tossed her backpack on the passenger seat and shut her door.

Konohamaru had gotten a ride home with someone else again, but she was wondering what he was up to with Hanabi. This whole blaze of fury she had going with Neji had quickly misdirected not just his attention, but hers as well. Perhaps the only good thing to come out of this would be Neji letting her brat of a cousin see Hanabi quietly. It's not like the romance could last too long; they were high schoolers after all—freshman. The chance it would ever turn into anything serious enough to piss off his uncle was unlikely.

Right?

Yeah.

_Are you talking about them or _you_?_

She ignored that inner thought and decided that at the very least she needed to sort out her terms with Neji about Hanabi and Konohamaru when she was up to actually talking to him. You know, when she wasn't on the very edge of falling apart and admitting something she just shouldn't. Something that wasn't going to happen; it hadn't.

"Shut up, idiot." With that, she hit the gas and the clutch, turned on the car, and shifted into drive.

* * *

"Leaving early?"

Neji stopped gracefully, halting a stumble as his uncle surprised him just before the door. He wasn't sure if Hiashi was actually passing by, intent on flicking through the mail in his neatly pressed suit, or just intent on questioning him.

Neji cleared his throat and straightened. "I'm leaving with a friend who is also attending."

"A date?"

"No, Uncle. A friend who was invited and offered to drive me."

"Hm," the older male murmured, scrutinizing him. "Just make sure you're not late."

Neji nodded, waiting for his uncle to leave the room first and then all but tried to not look like a scurrying mouse as he left. Hyuugas did _not _scurry. He walked smoothly across the driveway and out the gate, which had been left open so the car could depart shortly. He tried not to walk too quickly to Sasuke's car and slid in.

"Explain to me why I'm not driving myself?"

"Because, Ten is going with her family; found that out today. I don't want to leave a car behind when we dump the party."

Neji didn't like depending on other people for a ride; he hadn't been happy with the idea of being cramped in the car with his family. So, despite it all, this had been a better alternative. But, he didn't have to tell Sasuke that.

"You figure out what you're gonna say yet?" Sasuke reached over just after he pulled away and drove off, clicking the radio station on. Something vaguely reminiscent of Kiba blared out of the speaker, but it wasn't so loud they couldn't talk.

"Yes, I've figured something out."

"Wanna run it by me?"

"Not particularly."

Sasuke's lips twitched in a sort of contemplative frown. "Suit yourself, I suppose. Just figured I'd give you some insight."

"At some point I need to trust my own instincts or this thing with her will never go more than five steps."

Sasuke nodded.

Neji eyed him a moment. "For someone who doesn't say more than five words usually…"

"…I've been talking a lot?"

He didn't need an answer.

"I don't like talking to people I don't like," Sasuke said. "It's that simple. Most people just like to hear themselves speak; they don't actually listen to anyone. So, I find the more a person talks the less they listen. And listening is fairly helpful.

"Anyway, we're here."

_That didn't take long_, Neji mulled. But, then it wasn't far to begin with.

Suddenly, the car was in park, but still on. Both men got out and Sasuke handed the key to a valet. He nodded briefly, smiling, as the guy eyeballed the hotrod.

"Be careful. The transmission sticks a little."

"Got it," the valet replied before getting in, looking a little too happy to have his hands on a classic.

Sasuke wondered if _some_ part of him should be worried, but disregarded it. No one in their right mind would fuck up a '63 Corvette with the rare split window in the back.

"I have to go meet Ten. Watch the floor to cut in, alright?"

"Go first. We'll need a space of time to make it seem like we didn't come in together."

"That was the plan." Sasuke shot off a quick salute and then jogged up the concrete stairs.

Neji paused and looked up at the large building. Glass windows lined the front, faintly tinted. Off-white paint coated the walls and a dome sat atop where he imagined the center ballroom was.

People filled in slowly, black, red, blue and yellows sparkled like a sparse sea. He stood back, watching, and then looked at his phone. A couple minutes had passed. Now all he had to do was wait for his uncle to show up, attend to him for a time, and then wait for Tenten to arrive.

He could do this.

He slid the phone back into his jacket and moved with the flow inward, scanning the crowd before he moved on. Briefly, he wondered if Tenten had figured out he would be here as well. Doubtful, or she just assumed there were so many people it wouldn't matter.

A few people were loitering at the doors, but some were meeting with friends before going in. The front entrance went straight through to the two doors that opened up into the building's ballroom. Neji gave his name once he got there and went in. It would be a little while before his uncle arrived, perhaps ten or fifteen minutes. But, there was an hour buffer of discussion and dancing before anyone announced the night's schedule.

There came a sudden slap to his back; the action made him jump a little. His head whipped to his right and he frowned, eventually scowling when he saw who it was.

"Don't look so sour, man. I haven't seen you most of the weekend." Kiba grinned unabashedly. "Where's the rest of the stoics?"

"They haven't arrived yet."

"You drive?"

_And start the interrogation…_

Neji didn't feel like being questioned by Kiba of all people and redirected the question with one of his own. "Where's everyone else?"

Kiba shrugged. "Not sure yet. You're the first I've seen. But you know how it takes Ino and Karin _forever_ to get all plastered in make-up for this kinda stuff." They fell in step together as they moved towards the refreshment and snacks table. He grabbed a cup and poured some punch into it with the ladle. "Personally, I hate this shit my parents force me to attend."

_So do I_, Neji wanted to say, but held his tongue.

"But, all for family, right?" Kiba sighed and gave a mock toast before taking a drink. One hand was in his pocket as he looked out at the crowd and some of the dancers.

Neji had always known Kiba was never big on formal events, but had he overlooked something important? Was it possible the mangy boy, whose hobby list included breeding and playing with his prized pups, had more going on in his life than Neji ever cared to look into?

_You've been bred to only see what's on the outside._

"Me too," he murmured.

"Huh?" Kiba looked back at him, brows high on his head. "You say something, man?"

Neji smiled a little and chuckled. "_Yeah_," he exaggerated, "I said I hate these parties, too."

"Seriously?" Kiba didn't look fazed by his unusual admittance. "I figured you didn't care one way or the other."

"I think I believed the same once, but no. I hate them."

Kiba grinned. "Well, get used to it. We'll have to go to these snorefests for the rest of our lives.

"But, hey, they do some good, right? For people that need it."

Neji was surprised—genuinely so. Since when did Kiba… He resisted the urge to narrow his eyes as he poured himself a drink and took a sip. "Kiba?"

"What?"

"Why do you… mess with people at school?"

Kiba let out a long breath. "You getting serious on me, or something?"

"Honestly, Kiba… why?" Neji levelled his gaze on him, but it wasn't intimidating.

He shook his head, causing his shaggy mane to shift and fall into his eyes slightly. They weren't blocked from view; however, as his lashes lowered, it gave him a humbled appearance. He didn't look sad, maybe just deep in his own thoughts. "I dunno, man… "

He didn't want to tell him. Neji could see it. He wasn't sure if he should push.

"Maybe I'm just angry all the time, ya know?" Kiba looked over at him. "Aren't you?"

Yeah, he probably was. "Angry at what?"

"All of it." He looked back out at the crowd and waved a hand. "We've got the perfect life. So much stupid responsibility. Sometimes I just wanna be free of it."

"And so you pick on others to get over the aggression?"

"Not healthy I know." Kiba ran a hand through his hair and shifted from one foot to the other before taking another sip of his drink. "Maybe there's more to it than that though. Maybe I just want my mom to give a damn once in a while like she used to."

It was probably the most serious and revealing thing Neji had _ever_ heard Kiba say.

Then he grinned… and for the first time Neji saw how fake it was. "Then again, maybe I'm just an ass like the rest of us, huh? Maybe I just wear it on my sleeve better."

Neji didn't feel like smiling, but he offered a crooked smirk anyway. "Maybe." He'd have to talk to Kiba later. Now wasn't the time to try and fix anyone's life but his own.

"How long is this thing supposed to last tonight? Eleven?" Kiba asked, changing the subject carefully.

"Ten, I think. It's a week night."

"I guess that's good. Maybe I'll try and sneak out halfway through though. You game?" He looked over at the Hyuuga curiously.

Neji knew that on some level Kiba felt he was acting differently tonight, and that perhaps he might go with him. Suigetsu, Ino, Kiba, and Karin always slipped out on parties like this; however, Neji always turned them down because of his uncle… and because he knew whatever they got up to, while not illegal, would cause trouble for him.

He never knew if it was because they were braver than him, because their parents didn't care as much and paid the trouble away, or because they didn't care at all.

Even if his uncle wasn't an issue, he still wouldn't say yes. What they did, or what he heard they did later on, wasn't his forte. In that it was just a larger version of what they did to people at school.

Plus, he had his own plans tonight.

He shook his head. "Go ahead without me."

"As always," Kiba sighed out, turning back to the crowd and taking another sip. "Damn…" he spoke out, elongating the word, "Tenten looks hot tonight. Man, how can you _not_ hit that with angry sex, Neji? The girl is just asking for it. Sometimes I hate you. A lot."

Neji might have said something nasty about the comment, but he was too busy turning to follow Kiba's line of sight. She had come in through the doors, barely lingering with her family as she looked around. Her dress was strapless; it hugged her figure and flared out just below her waist, stopping at her knees. The strapless heels had rhinestones on them, adding the sparkle effect that dotted the gown; the height of them, though not extreme, accented her long legs. She was only just barely shorter than him; with those on she would meet him eye to eye. He couldn't see her face at this distance completely, so it was hard to tell if she was wearing make-up of any kind.

It was so odd; he'd seen her this way before, but he'd never quite noticed how… She didn't dress very girly at school. It was often a mixture of sporty with a little glam rolled in. But, nothing that took away from her edge. Tonight… she looked soft. Approachable.

"You heard me, right?"

He turned to Kiba, barely catching himself mentally. Hopefully, the brunette hadn't noticed his staring.

Kiba smirked. "I said, I've got to get back to my mom. She'll pitch a fit if I don't mingle a little. And her squawking burns my ears."

Neji nodded.

"See ya." With a wave Kiba was gone, disappearing into the crowd in a moment as he moved across the room to his mother and someone she was talking to.

When Neji looked back at Tenten she was talking to Sasuke. Near the door, he watched as his uncle and two cousins came in. Barely, he caught the look that passed between Tenten's grandfather and Hiashi.

Just why was there so much animosity between them? Or rather, on his uncle's part? Hiruzen appeared to look more sad than upset.

There were many things Neji could say about his uncle, but hating another family or person without just cause was not one of them; which, is more than likely why Neji never questioned why. But now he did.

_Later_, he told himself.

For now, for manner's sake, he needed to at least say hello to his family.

* * *

"Pink?"

Tenten shrugged at Sasuke as she stepped away from the door and walker further into the room. "It's a nice color. I do wear it, you know."

He offered a smirk and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Looks good."

"Thank you."

"Dance with me later?"

She blinked as they stopped near a corner and stared out at the dancers. "I didn't think you liked dancing at these events."

"I don't. But, there's not much else to do."

"True," she agreed. "Why not now?"

He pointed to the stage that had been erected. "Because the guy in the penguin suit's about to talk."

"Poo. I kinda wanted to dance now."

"You wanna eat something while he prattles on?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea. We won't be able to walk around much after he starts. And he'll go on forever.

"Come on." She grabbed his hand and tugged him around the dance floor. Manoeuvring was a little hard because there were more people now. The Fall Fundraiser always drew a lot of people; it made her glad, but the whole event was a little boring for her tastes. She'd honestly rather be having fun with her friends. Temari hated it, but her parents usually forced her to go. Sakura seemed to enjoy it, but then she loved dressing up.

Tenten didn't hate it. She liked all the good it did. She just didn't think this was her idea of celebrating and raising money for inner city families. Now, a real concert? With hundreds of people all hyped up and screaming? That'd be a way to celebrate!

"Oh, cookies," she cried softly as she reached for one.

Sasuke poured punch into a small clear plastic cup and handed to her. "Not too loud, they're starting."

Tenten glanced over at the stage as he handed her the drink. The head of the fundraiser tapped it once and then smiled and began speaking. She mostly tuned it out as noise and allowed her eyes to flicker over the crowd. Then, a bright smile came to her features as she watched Sakura slip over to her in the red dress they'd picked up yesterday.

"You look great," she whispered.

"Thanks, so do you."

"You made it just in time. Where's Mari?"

Sakura frowned. "Sprained her ankle at practice today. Didn't you get my text?"

Tenten shook her head. "Too busy at the house. How?"

"She tripped over another teammate. You know how aggressive she can be."

"She okay?"

Sakura nodded as she grabbed a celery stick. "Oh yeah." She grinned. "Shika is taking care of her since her parents aren't in town. They had to send in their bid for the auction."

"Ohhhh… I bet she hates that."

Sakura chuckled. "Yeah, she does. But, hey, it's not like we can be there and no one's home. How's she gonna get around when she's on bed rest most of the time?"

Tenten grimaced. "I take it back. She'd not just gonna hate it. Girl is going to be pissed. Damn. I don't want to deal with that much angst from her."

"That bad?" Sasuke asked on her left.

"Yeah, she's that bad. At least when it comes to Shikamaru Nara."

"Only because she likes him," Sakura said softly and she leaned over, grinning like a cat.

Tenten watched her friend nibble on her celery stick. "You think it's funny now. But just wait till she's blasting our ears."

"Oh, it's no worse than you blasting ours about Neji."

Tenten's cheeks tinged pink just barely. "It's not the same," she hissed.

"It is." Sakura kept on grinning as she munched, eyes dancing with mirth.

The roar of clapping stopped Tenten from saying anything else and she decided to just join in and just let it go. Neji and her were not like Temari and Shika. Shika was a decent guy. Neji was… well, he wasn't a decent guy.

"Care to dance now?" Sasuke asked as he set his glass down and held a hand out to her.

"Yes." She smiled brightly as her handed hers to Sakura. "Hold that, please."

"Will do. Have fun." Sakura waved with her celery stick just before finishing it.

As they joined the other dancers and moved into a formal step, Sasuke asked, "Tell me again why I can't hit on her?"

Tenten sighed as she let one of her hands rest on his shoulder and the other in his hand. "Because, Sakura isn't the kind of girl you sleep with. She's the kind you date, eventually marry if it works out, and then have a happily-ever-after with."

"That's not what you wanted."

"Not all girls are created equal." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Anyway, Sakura's a virgin. And you don't sleep with virgins."

"But you do?"

Tenten frowned as they spun and moved back into the steps. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sasuke chuckled. "You slept with Hyuuga."

"And how would you know if he's a virgin?"

The uncharacteristic grin remained. "I didn't. Do now."

Sometimes she really hated him. He always did that. Just pretended he knew things to get people to admit information. He rarely did it to her, but it seemed the Neji situation was just too good for him not to prod at.

"I hate you," she muttered, looking away.

"No, you love me. You just hate the place you're at. That's all."

"I guess."

"I might quit bugging you if you just let me talk to Sakura," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "You always love a challenge. Why are you bothering me, anyway? You're going to talk to her eventually whether I want you to or not."

"True."

"You might be surprised though. Sakura really is the dating type, Sasuke. I'm serious. Don't break her heart intentionally." She looked at him with serious eyes.

He chuckled. "You gonna beat me up?"

"Probably not." She frowned. "The look in her eyes will be enough, I think."

"Excuse me. May I cut in?"

Tenten blinked at the voice, and then her eyes widened… eventually narrowing slightly as Sasuke stopped, shrugged, and placed her hand in Neji's.

Her first instinct was to run; to walk right off the dance floor. But, if she did that she'd cause a scene. Fuck, Hyuuga knew that; fucking bastard did this on purpose.

She looked over at Sasuke who just shrugged again, smiled, and walked away. _Wait… had he?_

_No… right?_

She'd kill him.

For now, she just moved through the steps and tried to keep her eyes on Neji's throat. But, that was hard; they were eye to eye and it made her look like she was looking down.

"I'm sorry," he murmured after a moment or two.

"For?" she asked, voice even.

"Calling you a coward."

To this she didn't reply. Neji didn't seem like the sort of person that apologized for his behaviour. So, it struck her as a little odd, but she tried not to be too shocked.

"If I want to talk, will you listen to me?"

"You can do whatever you want, Neji."

"But, will you _listen_?" he asked softly, catching her gaze.

Her lips parted slightly as this happened. And suddenly, she was struck by how beautiful he was. Not that he wasn't beautiful all the time, or that she'd never noticed… but that look he had in his eyes just now… The way he appeared almost pained.

Did he know? Did he know how much it hurt her to say no?

"Yes," she whispered softly, finally forcing her gaze away.

"Can you not say anything until I'm done this time?"

She nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes, I promise," she replied, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Sasuke came to see me yesterday after school. He took me to where you used to live… with your parents." He paused to watch her reaction.

She almost glared at him as a mixture of emotions crossed her face. "How—"

"You promised," he reminded her softly, but strongly.

Her jaw flexed.

"You could say he painted a fairly clear picture of why you don't want me in your life. I don't think I need to rehash the details, nevermind the fact I don't have time. Dancing was just a good excuse so I could speak to you here with my uncle around.

"I'm not looking for a commitment, Ten. I don't plan on getting married anytime soon, or even asking you to move in with me. I can't promise we'll even last. Hell," he cursed, letting the formalities go, "I'm not even asking you to be my _girlfriend_. I just want a few dates. I want to give this a chance on better terms…. Not hidden behind closed doors.

"You don't have to answer me now… just think about it."

The dance was coming to an end; she could hear it in the music. "Your uncle would never approve," she pointed out, trying to set up walls—more than just her own.

"I'll handle my uncle," he murmured as they stopped. "Just think about it." He squeezed her hand one last time before stepping away and off the dance floor.

She stood there for a while… staring before she walked back to Sakura and Sasuke, unsure of _how_ to feel anymore.

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled as he watched his only granddaughter dancing. Her friend had gracefully stepped aside the moment a boy with long, dark hair tapped his shoulder and the old man was quite enjoying the flustered look of panic on his grandchild's face. She was far too jaded - too composed and resolute - for a teenaged girl most of the time, and he liked to see her acting her age for once. There was something about the boy she was currently dancing with that nagged at him though; something about the young man's pale skin, light eyes and aristocratic bone-structure. The child seemed familiar though Hiruzen couldn't place him. He certainly wasn't one of Tenten's friends…

The young couple spun around on the dance floor and for a moment Hiruzen could clearly see the boy's face. His eyes narrowed somewhat and only Asuma heard the suppressed sigh the old man expelled as he recognized Hiashi Hyuuga's nephew – though the boy was more like the man's son, if rumor was to be believed.

He doubted the children knew anything about the ill feeling between the Hyuuga family and their own, but Tenten's expression clearly showed that she wasn't entirely oblivious. Still, for the first time in days there was some life in Tenten and he wanted her to keep looking that way. His eyes, surrounded by wrinkles, quickly scanned over the crowd until he pin-pointed Hiashi across the room.

"I'll be back," he muttered to his son, ignoring Asuma's surprised glance as he quickly made his way across the room.

The rest of the businessmen Hiashi had been conferring with – looking so serious that one would almost doubt he was at a party – melted away discreetly once Hiruzen joined their group; long experience had taught everyone that nothing good ever happened when Hiashi and Hiruzen faced off.

"Yes?"

Hiashi arched one imperial eyebrow distastefully as Hiruzen attempted a smile that was really more of a grimace.

"Good evening, Hiashi," the older man greeted evenly. "I trust you are enjoying the benefit."

Another raised eyebrow and Hiashi responded coolly, "It is proving to be a lucrative evening."

"It's a party, you know," Hiruzen endeavoured to create some levity in the arctic atmosphere. "Work can wait until tomorrow."

"I would imagine that you of all people would appreciate the value of striking when an opportunity presents itself." The snide edge of sarcasm was clearly evident in Hiashi's tone.

Hiruzen sighed, "After all these years, Hiashi … isn't it time to bury the hatchet?" He knew it was a fruitless attempt the moment the younger man's eyes drew together in a scowl that sent most sane people running for cover.

"I have no idea what you are referring to, Sarutobi. Now if you'll excuse me."

He turned away only to be caught in the grip of polite manners when Hiruzen continued speaking, prohibiting him from simply walking off and causing a scene.

"You still feel the Hyuuga family was betrayed. I understand that. But what _you_ need to understand is that it wasn't like that. How you imagine it to be – we didn't sit around plotting betrayal. My wife … she went to her grave carrying the guilt."

Hiashi's fingers tightened around the stem of his champagne glass so the knuckles turned white but, just when it seemed as if the delicate crystal would shatter, his grip eased. He took a deep breath and faced Hiruzen with his composure intact again.

"Precisely. Your wife made her choices and she had to live with the consequences of those choices. It is inconsequential what those choices made her feel. It means less than nothing to me."

A shake of the white head of hair and Hiruzen nodded a polite farewell, though Hiashi could see the sadness in his father's one-time friend's eyes. Abruptly he turned his gaze onto the dance floor; not wishing to dwell on the past any longer. Deep inside him anger – carefully controlled – bubbled sluggishly. What had the old man wanted? Why would he approach him at all? He knew very well what Hiashi thought of him …

Light eyes narrowed in sudden concentration as Hiashi spied his nephew on the dance floor, Sarutobi's granddaughter in his arms. Suspicion grew in his mind, filling like a balloon the longer he watched the teenagers. Something was going on there. He wouldn't rest until he'd found out what and eradicated it utterly.

* * *

"Nicely done," Sakura complimented, raising Tenten's glass of punch in a mock toast as Sasuke rejoined her. "She's still going to kill you, though."

Sasuke shrugged, "She'll get over it once she realizes I was doing her a favor."

"They look good together," Sakura nodded her agreement, hoping the wistfulness in her tone wasn't too obvious. She didn't know Sasuke very well – having only met Tenten's friend once or twice – but she had a sneaking suspicion that not much got past the Uchiha; the situation with Tenten and Neji being a case in point.

"Anyway," she continued brightly, before he had a chance to comment because she _didn't _miss the way his eyebrows rose slightly, "have you entered your bid for the fundraiser yet?"

The moment the words left her mouth she wanted to kick herself. _This _was why she was the only virgin left in their little circle of friends, _this _was why she preferred to let Temari and Tenten take the spotlight … whenever she was left alone with people she didn't know very well she somehow always managed to put her foot in it.

"Oh, yeah, definitely," Sasuke turned so he was facing her directly, "My millions are going to make _such_ a lot of difference."

She'd expected the sarcasm – hell, she _deserved _it, for her thoughtless remark - but somehow it stung nonetheless. Trying to suppress the flush spreading across her cheeks, Sakura opened her mouth only to snap it closed again when she realized she didn't have the faintest idea of how to answer that.

"Relax, Duchess," Sasuke rolled his eyes, "it was a joke."

"Wha-what did you just call me?" Sakura frowned, trying to gain her stride in a conversation that was rapidly sliding far out of her control.

"What? Duchess?" Sasuke asked absently, his gaze focused on the array of delicacies spread across the table.

"Suits you." He nodded once and popped a cherry tomato into his mouth before turning his attention fully back to the girl standing next to him.

"And how the hell does the title 'Duchess' _suit _me?"

Sasuke suppressed the smirk that pulled at his lips. This was more like it; the beginnings of a surge of temper licked at the edges of her words, her emerald eyes were narrowed and glittering dangerously as she waited for a response.

He shrugged, deliberately careless, "No self-respecting princess would ever be caught in public with pink hair. Besides you're exactly what a dowager Duchess should be like."

"Oh! Because you've met _so many _–″

"You're wound pretty tight," he broke in, suddenly enjoying himself immensely – this pink-haired slip of a girl was almost as much fun to piss off as Ten, "calm down, Duchess. Red dress and pink hair is bad enough without adding red cheeks into the equation."

Sakura looked like she was going to explode. "What, exactly, are you implying? There's nothing wrong with this dress! It looks good and you know it."

"Daddy approved, did he? Told his little angel she looked beautiful when she swept down the stairs?"

"As a matter of fact-!″

Sasuke took a step closer, so mere inches were separating their bodies and angled his head down so their noses almost touched. He wanted to laugh at the way Sakura choked on the last part of her sentence, swallowing it whole, but from the corner of his eye he could see Tenten heading back in their direction. One last chance to piss Tenten off and wrong-foot Sakura … because he was enjoying the way her cheeks flushed and her wide eyes swept around the room, settling anywhere but on his face; the way she bit her lower lip and tried not to show just how flustered he was making her feel.

"Bet daddy didn't realize that you could easily adjust the neckline to show far more cleavage than is proper…"

He allowed his gaze to sweep down her neck and rest, for a moment, on the slight swell of her breasts visible above the modestly cut neckline of the dress.

"You-!"

He caught her hand just as she was lifting it, turned it over and pressed a fleeting kiss against her palm.

"Learn to accept a compliment, Duchess," he murmured before dropping her hand and taking a step back; pretending complete absorption in the food spread on the table just as Tenten joined them.

* * *

"Wanna get out of here?" Sasuke asked, leaning down to be heard over the music, though it wasn't loud.

The clock had barely struck nine-thirty but the party was already winding down and he figured it was now or never, if they wanted to escape with the minimum of questions. It was actually beyond annoying how the Hyuuga had to be babied so his uncle wouldn't find out he was anything less than he appeared to be, but … if Tenten got something good out of this entire thing then Sasuke figured it was worth it.

"You heading home already?" Tenten asked in surprise.

"No, just thought we could go looking for something more fun," Sasuke returned, and he tried, he really did, to keep the sneer off his face as he glanced around the ballroom.

Everywhere there were groups of people dressed in clothes that cost more than most of the people back home earned in a year; not to mention the donations these people had been making all night long. He shook his head. It truly baffled him … he couldn't imagine having so much money that it could be counted recreation to give it away.

"You have no idea how welcome that sounds," Tenten sighed, and for the first time since her dance with Neji she offered him a true smile, "I'll just tell my grandfather and we can get out of here."

Sakura cleared her throat and shot Sasuke a pointed look which he ignored just as he had ignored her since their little altercation earlier. It was difficult to suppress the smirk though; each time he made a point of ignoring her he could see the way the pink-haired girl simmered with silent temper.

"I'll say good night then," Sakura said stiffly, turning so she could hug Tenten good night.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Sakura," Tenten huffed irritably, grabbing her friend's wrist and dragging her along, "You're obviously invited, too."

For a moment Sasuke stood watching the girls wind their way through the crowd before he quickly turned on one heel and headed towards the doors where he had last seen Neji. Predictably, Neji was still in place, leaning one shoulder against the wall near the doors; close enough to keep an eye on the people entering and exiting but far enough away to not be in the way. With him was a couple of other guys; one with wild dark hair was talking while Neji pretended to listen. The moment his light eyes fell on Sasuke approaching, Neji straightened and if Sasuke hadn't known better he would've sworn there was relief in the Hyuuga's eyes.

Neji arched one eyebrow in a silent question and Sasuke tilted his head slightly towards the doors in response.

By the time he reached the concrete steps into the building, Neji had caught up to him.

"She agreed?" he asked softly, falling into step with Sasuke as they made their way to the valet and handed over the parking ticket.

"Yeah," Sasuke shrugged, "she has no idea you're coming though, so depending on how your talk went you might wanna wait to join us."

Without another word, Neji melted into the shadows cast by the massive pillars surrounding the front of the building and Sasuke waited patiently for his car to be brought around. The girls had good timing and reappeared at his side just as the red Corvette drew to a stop. Tenten immediately called shotgun and grabbed the door handle while Sakura merely rolled her eyes.

Sasuke forced himself not to smile when he held the door open for Sakura and surprise widened her green eyes as she slid past him and into the car with an uncomfortable thank you. He really did laugh when Tenten had barely managed to slide into the passenger seat before Neji appeared at the still open door, blocking her escape.

"Move over, Sarutobi."

The words were low but Sasuke could clearly hear them, and Tenten's gasp, before she simply followed the commands of Neji's hands pushing her to climb into the backseat while he slid into place and closed the door behind him.

Before anyone could protest Sasuke put the car in drive and got the hell out of there.

* * *

Darkness stretched all the way to the bare rafters, broken only by dim pockets of illumination. A band had set up in one corner of the warehouse and lights flashed red, blue, green and white over the musicians. Though he wasn't entirely sure the bass-heavy sound could really be classified as music. Neji could quite categorically state that he'd never been in a place like this. Ever. Not even the rundown apartment building Tenten had grown up in could really match his current surroundings.

Tenten hadn't said a word when Neji had joined her, Sakura and Sasuke as they'd left the fundraiser but he couldn't help and see that as a good sign. By the time it had become apparent he was joining them on whatever jaunt Sasuke had planned it had been too late for her to say anything. So Neji had found himself in front of a largely derelict warehouse surrounded by parked cars and filled with drunken partygoers. It was only the presence of security and the large banners advertising the band that had convinced him it was (somewhat) safe to enter the building.

Maybe the way Sasuke had rolled his eyes upon catching sight of his expression had had something to do with the sudden rebelliousness, too, but Neji refused to acknowledge that.

The atmosphere felt … alive, though. Especially in contrast with the event they had just left. They'd drawn a few eyes; dressed as formally as they all were, but that didn't stop Sasuke or Tenten who had made a beeline for the bar that had been set up in another corner. Neji and Sakura stayed where they were, awkwardly eyeing each other and the crowd that dipped and flowed around them. He could only hope that he didn't look as wide-eyed as Sakura did. This was not the sort of crowd they were used to; it was like Sasuke times a million. But for some reason Neji couldn't get the Uchiha's words out of his head: he _had _gone his whole life judging everything based on what he had been taught. Suddenly it didn't seem so important anymore – he didn't have to be constantly making sure that, should his uncle choose to compare him to anyone, he would come out on top.

They were just visible through the throng; Sasuke and Tenten had paused at the bar, each with two drinks in hand. Tenten gesticulated wildly – the only clue he really had that they were arguing and not merely talking – but Sasuke cut her off. To Neji's amazement (he didn't think it was possible for anyone to get Tenten to do anything she didn't want to, especially when she was upset) the girl stood, glaring at her friend but listening nonetheless. Neji stood, frozen into place, his heart pounding in the cage of his ribs, barely aware of the way Sakura inched closer to him when a large group of raucous bikers squeezed past them. He was only aware of Tenten; of how she turned slightly until their eyes met. It was too far and too dark to make out any expression but every time a bar of light flashed color across her features he could see that her eyes were still locked onto him. Distantly he wondered what it was about the damn girl that intrigued him so. It was more than the way she felt and the way they touched. It was more than the way she made him think and question …

Sasuke was next to him, shoving the can of something he'd procured into Neji's almost lifeless hand and then he was turning and pushing a path through the crowd using his shoulders. Sakura shot one look at Neji, and then a panicked one at Sasuke's retreating figure, before she hastily followed in his wake; he could just hear tidbits of the words they shouted at each other.

"What am I supposed to do now?" The panic was only barely suppressed in Sakura's tone.

"Have fun, Duchess. Do you know how?"

Whatever undercurrent had been present between Sasuke and Sakura faded from his mind as Tenten slowly stalked across the expanse that separated them. She kept her gaze firmly on him but the closer she got the more he relaxed. Whatever Sasuke had said to her seemed to have done the trick because there was no anger, no rejection, in her hazel-brown eyes. Instead a playful, half-challenging glint lurked beneath her carefully expressionless features.

"So, what's a girl like you doing in a place like this?" she asked as she reached him. She stood so close he could feel the warmth emanating from her, could see the curve of her lips lit with a teasing smile, but the challenge lingered.

Neji rolled his eyes before offering her a smirk in return. Two could play this game; and the opening gambit she'd offered him might be exactly what he needed to prove to her that the words he'd spoken earlier hadn't been just words. They could be good, if she gave it a chance. They could just have fun and see where it took them without jumping head first into commitments and promises neither of them were ready for.

He leaned over, tilting his head so his lips just brushed her ear (he ignored the jolt down his spine when she shivered slightly) as he spoke, "I'm having fun."

The surprise in Tenten's expression mirrored his own: it had just been something to say but Neji discovered that nothing had ever felt more true.

* * *

**Blade AN :: **I feel like I'm always apologizing to you guys about updating, whether on my fics or on this collab with Noki. At any rate: sorry. I've had a hectic time this semester before I graduate (with my AA). I've been taking express classes and haven't had any time to write. Noki helped finished this up so we could post it. But, school is letting out this week and I'll have more time to write whatever I want (including my original stuff if you've been keeping up with my facebook page KitRoe).

I do have some sour news for those of you who haven't seen my current fics updated. After this collab and my Spuffy fanfic I'm going to be done with fanfics. There is a chance I may write something in my free time and finish it and then post it, but don't hold your breath. If anything, just keep me on author alert and when it pops up you'll be in for a happy surprise. I do have one in mind (a Sas/Saku fic), but again, don't hold your breath.

When this all comes to an end, I just wanted to let you guys know it's been fun hearing from you. I'll miss you. Well, unless you get on board with my original stuff on my fb page and website. Thanks again for ride. *kisses*

_**Noki-chan a/n: **_… we're not dead? Seriously though I am sorry for the delay but we've made the chapter extra long to make up for it! I hope that you enjoy it and please do not forget to review and let us know what you thought! We promise that we will finish this story. On another note, to those of you who are following my solo fic _Heaven_ … the deviantART contest is still open but time is running out! Please head over to #SasutenFans on dA to check out the details and prizes. Finally, thank you so much for your continued support and patience! You guys make my day.


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